DURHAM, N.C. — Hattie Monson recorded 26 digs and Caroline Meuth led the Irish with 16 kills, but Notre Dame fell to Duke in five sets (22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 10-15) on Friday night inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Charley Niego earned a double-double with 10 kills and 18 digs while Aubrey Hamilton added 11 kills and Zoe Nunez collected 38 assists and 13 digs.
Lauren Tarnoff led Notre Dame with six blocks and Hamilton followed behind her with five.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Duke earned a 7-2 lead to open the first set and force the Irish to take an early timeout.
Meuth’s fourth kill of the set got Notre Dame back within two at 15-13 before an ace by Monson and kill by Hamilton finally evened the frame at 17-all. A fifth kill by Meuth gave the Irish their first lead of the set at 22-12, but the Blue Devils earned the next four points to take the first set, 25-22.
Second Set
The hosts opened the second stanza with a 9-3 lead before a 6-2 Irish run, capped with a kill by Nunez, got Notre Dame back within two at 12-10.
The Irish kept the set tight from there and earned their first lead with a 4-1 run, including kills by Niego and Meuth, to turn a 19-18 deficit into a 22-20 advantage and force a Duke timeout. After the break, Meuth’s 10th kill of the match clinched the second set for Notre Dame, 25-22.
Third Set
The Irish erased an early 7-3 deficit with a 7-1 run, including a pair of kills each from Hamilton, Nunez and Niego, to go up 10-8.
Duke answered with a 6-2 stretch to go back ahead 14-12, but the Irish responded back with a 6-1 run, including a kill and block by Hamilton, to grab an 18-15 advantage and force a Blue Devils timeout.
The Irish stretched the scoring run to 11-2 after the break with help from a kill and an ace by Meuth to extend their lead to 23-16. Miller notched a kill to clinch a 25-17 triumph in set three and give the Irish a 2-1 lead in the match.
Fourth Set
Four different players (Hamilton, Miller, Nunez, Niego) notched kills in an Irish 4-0 that turned a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 lead in set four. Duke worked to tie the frame at 8-all and eventually used a 4-1 run to go up 16-14 before two straight kills by Miller tied the set again at 16-16.
The Blue Devils used a 3-0 run to go up 21-19, and held on to take the fourth frame 25-22 to force a decisive fifth set.
Fifth Set
The Blue Devils earned a 5-2 lead to open the final frame and force a Notre Dame timeout.
Duke maintained control after the frame and despite a late Irish 3-0 run, took the final set 15-10.
UP NEXT
- The Irish continue their three-match road swing next weekend with road matchups at North Carolina and NC State.
- Notre Dame first meets the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill next Friday (Nov. 5) at 6 p.m. ET before taking on the Wolfpack on Sunday (Nov. 7) in Raleigh at 1 p.m. ET.
—ND—