AUSTIN, Tex. — Charley Niego notched 18 kills and 11 digs for her 40th career double-double as Notre Dame earned a five-set victory (22-25, 25-16, 25-14, 12-25, 15-10) over Arizona on Saturday afternoon at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas.
“I loved how we competed,” said Irish head coach Mike Johnson. “We can and will improve. But we kept fighting regardless of the score. I was especially happy with our serving. We showed toughness in hitting our serve. The biggest point though, is we hit it all week in practice. We earned the right to do it in today’s game.”
Niego’s 18 kills (.333%) led all players while Aubrey Hamilton and Caroline Meuth each added 10 kills for Notre Dame.
The Irish racked up 12 service aces in the contest, including a game-high four by Hamilton, three each by Hattie Monson and Zoe Nunez and two by Niego. Nunez collected 39 assists in the five sets of play.
Monson led the Irish defensively with a game-high 25 digs while Nunez earned 12 digs and Lindsey Miller recorded a game-high five blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Hamilton notched a kill and an ace to get the Irish within three at 11-8 before the Wildcats earned the next three points to go up 14-8. Arizona took a 19-11 advantage before the Irish went on a 5-0 run, including two kills by Meuth, to make it 19-16. Another 3-0 Irish run put the Irish within two at 24-22 and forced an Arizona timeout. However, the Wildcats earned the next point after the break to take the first set, 25-22.
Second Set
After the Wildcats took a 7-4 lead, Notre Dame earned eight of the next nine points, including two kills and a block by Meuth, to go up 12-8. Arizona responded with a 5-1 run to even the stanza at 13-all. Notre Dame then went on a 6-0 run that involved a trio of kills by Niego to take a 19-13 lead. The Irish stayed in control from there with a kill by Hamilton clinching a 25-16 triumph to even the match.
The Irish racked up 16 kills, including six by Niego, and hit .314 in the frame as a team.
Third Set
Arizona held a 7-6 lead before the Irish went on a 7-1 run, including an ace by Monson and two kills by Hamilton, to go up 14-8. Three straight kills by Meuth pushed Notre Dame’s lead to 22-13 before Monson notched another ace to clinch the third set, 25-14.
The Irish racked up six service aces in the third stanza, including two by Monson, two by Niego, and one each from Hamilton and Nunez.
Fourth Set
The Wildcats broke a 3-3 tie with seven straight points to grab a 10-3 lead. Arizona stayed in control from there to take the set, 25-12, and force a decisive fifth frame.
Fifth Set
The Irish jumped out to a 5-1 lead with help from an ace by Hamilton to go with a kill and block by Miller to force a Wildcats timeout. Arizona responded with a 5-1 stretch to even the stanza at 6-all and force the Irish to take a timeout of their own. The Irish answered back with a 5-1 run of their own, capped by a kill from Meuth, to go up 11-7. Miller delivered a kill to clinch the fifth set, 15-10, and five-set triumph for Notre Dame.
UP NEXT
- The Irish close the weekend against top-ranked Texas on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 1 p.m. ET.
- That match will be televised on Longhorn Network.
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