CORAL GABLES, FL — The Notre Dame volleyball team fell to Miami in five sets (24-26, 25-23, 20-25, 26-24, 11-15) on Sunday afternoon in Coral Gables, Florida.
Caroline Meuth led the Irish attack with 20 kills while Charley Niego added 19 kills and Sydney Bent added 14 kills.
Madison Cruzado earned a game-high five service aces to go with a team-high 17 digs.
Zoe Nunez matched her season-high with 54 assists in the five sets.
Niego and Meuth each added 11 digs to earn their 12th and eighth double-doubles of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
After the Irish opened play with a 6-4 lead, the Hurricanes earned back-to-back points to even the set. From there, the sides alternated points all the way to 13-13. Miami earned two consecutive points to go up 15-13. The Irish used a 5-0 run, which included two kills and an ace by Bent, to take a 19-16 lead and force a Hurricanes timeout. After the break, Miami responded with five straight points to go up 21-19. Kills by Niego and Meuth evened the set at 21-21 before the Hurricanes took a 24-22 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Niego extended the frame and tied the set at 24-24. Two straight Hurricanes kills clinched the 26-24 set win for the hosts.
Second Set
The Hurricanes jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second stanza before the Irish pulled within a point at 7-6. The hosts stayed in front until Notre Dame rattled off four straight points, including two aces by Cruzado, to take a 13-10 advantage. Miami worked to tie the frame at 15-all before a 3-0 Irish run put Notre Dame up 18-15. After the Irish extended their lead to 20-16, Miami earned three straight points to make it 20-19. Notre Dame held the advantage and two kills by Meuth down the stretch clinched a 25-23 set victory for the Irish.
Third Set
Runs of 4-1 and 5-1 helped the hosts earn a 10-6 lead to open the third set before Miami extended its lead to 17-11. An Irish 4-0 run, which involved another ace by Cruzado, cut the Hurricanes’ advantage to 17-15. Miami answered by earning four of the next six points to earn a 21-17 lead and force a Notre Dame timeout. The Hurricanes held on to take the frame, 25-20, and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Fourth Set
Miami earned a 10-7 lead before three kills by Meuth helped Notre Dame tie the frame at 11-all. Miami answered with six straight points to take a 17-11 lead. After the Hurricanes took a 21-14 advantage, the Irish roared back with an 9-2 streak to equal the stanza at 23-23. Miami took a 24-23 edge before a kill by Meuth and two kills by Niego clinched a 26-24 win for the Irish to force a fifth set. In total, it was a 12-3 run by the Irish that closed the fourth set and erased a seven-point deficit.
Fifth Set
The sides opened the decisive frame in a 7-7 tie before a 5-1 Miami stretch put the hosts up 12-8. The Irish got within two at 13-11, but Miami earned the next two points to take the set, 15-11.
UP NEXT
The Irish (17-7, 10-4 ACC) return to Purcell Pavilion this Sunday, November 17th to take on Syracuse. First serve against the Orange is set for 1 p.m. ET and the match will be televised on ACC Network. For tickets, click here.
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—ND—