NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision (20-25, 21-25, 23-25) against third-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night at Purcell Pavilion.
Caroline Meuth led the Irish attack with a game-high 16 kills while Sydney Bent added 12 kills.
Zoe Nunez earned 26 assists in the three sets of play while also totaling a game-high 19 digs.
Madison Cruzado added 11 digs for the Irish defense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Three kills by both Bent and Meuth helped the Irish jump out to a 13-7 lead in the opening set and force a pair of Pitt timeouts. After the Irish earned a 16-9 advantage, the Panthers rattled off eight of the next nine points to even the frame at 17-all. Pitt closed the frame on a 6-1 run to take the set, 25-20.
Second Set
After the sides opened the second set in a 5-5 tie, Pitt earned four straight points to go up 9-5. The Irish responded with a 6-1 stretch, which included three kills by Meuth, to take a 14-13 lead. The Panthers came back with a 3-0 run to lead 16-14 before the Irish battled back to even the frame at 17-all. Pitt earned five consecutive points to lead 23-18, but Notre Dame responded with a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 23-21. However, the Panthers earned the next two points to earn a 25-21 set win and a 2-0 lead.
Third Set
Three consecutive kills by Bent helped the Irish earn an 8-6 advantage to begin set three. Pitt battled back with a 5-1 stretch to take an 11-9 lead before Notre Dame evened the set at 11-all. The stanza remained within a point until a 7-1 Pitt streak put the Panthers up 21-16. A 6-2 Irish run cut the Pitt lead to 23-22, but the Panthers held on for a 25-23 victory.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame (14-5, 7-2 ACC) returns to Purcell Pavilion to take on Virginia this Sunday, October 27th at 1 p.m. That match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. For tickets, click here.
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—ND—