SOUTH BEND, Ind. - For the first time in the 2026 season, the Notre Dame volleyball team will hit the road, as the Irish take on Toledo at 4 p.m. Saturday in Ohio. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Notre Dame is 8-0 historically all-time against Toledo, four of those wins on the road. The Irish swept the Rockets in a road contest the last time the two teams faced off on September 17, 2023.
The 47th season of Notre Dame volleyball opened this past weekend, as the Irish dropped a pair of closely contested matchups against Ball State and Xavier.
After opening weekend, senior Sydney Helmers leads the team with 27 kills (3.00 kills per set) and two service aces. Freshman Isabella Sangha made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, totaling 20 kills across the two opening matches of the season.
Defensively, junior Anna Bjork and sophomore Maya Evens have stood out early in the season. Bjork leads the team with 15 total blocks, including three solo, ranking seventh in the conference. Evens' 4.22 digs per set are third in the ACC, while her 38 total digs lead the team. She posted 24 digs in the season opener against Ball State, one shy of her career high.
Toledo is 4-0 to start the season and has yet to drop a set. The Rockets have defeated Bradley, Binghamton, Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne at home. Toledo advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 after winning the MAC.
| BY THE NUMBERS | |
|
1.64 |
Notre Dame's 1.64 service aces per set were fourth in the ACC last year |
|
2.57 |
Notre Dame's 2.57 blocks per set were fifth in the ACC last year |
|
7 |
7 newcomers for the Irish in 2026 (4 freshman, 3 transfers) |
|
9 |
Notre Dame’s 9 wins in the ACC last season were the most under Rockwell |
|
10 |
Isabella Sangha totaled 10 kills each against both Ball State and Xavier |
|
28 |
Grace Langer was the only Irish player to start all 28 games last season |
|
125 |
Career-high 125 blocks last season for Anna Bjork, which led the team. She averaged 1.23 blocks per set, 10th in the ACC last season |
|
229 |
Sydney Helmers had 229 kills last season, the most by a returning player |
|
364 |
Stella Adeyemi comes to Notre Dame with 364 kills in 49 matches played the last three seasons at Hawaii |
|
549 |
Maya Baker returns for her sophomore season after 549 assists last year |