CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — The fifth-ranked Notre Dame volleyball team (6-1, 6-1 ACC) Boston College (25-19, 22-25, 25-11, 25-16) to close out the fall slate on Saturday night inside Power Gym.
Aubrey Hamilton led the Irish with a career-best 20 kills and a hitting percentage of .425. Charley Niego also added 16 kills while Zoe Nunez dished out 44 assists.
Hattie Monson notched a game-high 23 digs in the four sets while Nunez added 16 digs and Caroline Meuth collected 14 digs.
Hannah Thompson led all players with eight total blocks.
As a team, the Irish hit .329 in the four sets while limiting Boston College to .125.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Irish used a 7-2 run, which included a pair of kills each by Niego and Lindsey Miller, to take a 9-4 lead to open the first set. The Eagles used a 5-1 run to get back within one at 14-13, and eventually worked to tie the score at 18-all. Notre Dame answered with back-to-back blocks in a 4-0 run to go up 22-18. Niego’s fourth kill of the set sealed a 25-19 set win to give the Irish a 1-0 lead. As a team, the Irish hit .279 in the frame while limiting the Eagles to .098.
Second Set
The sides opened the second set in a 6-6 tie before Boston College earned a 10-7 advantage. Notre Dame converted the next four points, including back-to-back kills by Hamilton, to go up 11-10. Kills by Niego and Nunez forced an Eagles timeout and pushed the Irish lead to 15-13. After the break, Boston College responded with a 6-2 run to lead 19-17 and force Notre Dame to take a timeout of its own. The Irish earned the next two points to deadlock the score again at 19-all. The hosts closed the frame with three straight points to take the set, 25-22, and even the match.
Third Set
Four consecutive kills by Hamilton helped give the Irish an 8-5 lead to open the third stanza. The visitors stayed in control with a 7-2 run to go up 15-8. The Irish stayed in control from there to take the third set, 25-11, and earn a 2-1 lead in the match.
Notre Dame earned a season-best .464 hitting percentage while racking up 15 kills, including five by Hamilton, in the set.
Fourth Set
The hosts opened the fourth set with a 5-1 lead before Notre Dame answered to tie the set at 6-6. A kill by Niego, followed by back-to-back aces by the junior, gave the Irish a 10-7 lead in the frame. A 3-0 Irish spurt, which included a kill and block by Hannah Thompson, extended Notre Dame’s lead to 13-8. After the Eagles made it 13-10, the Irish answered with four straight points to take control of the frame at 17-10.
Fittingly, Hamilton’s 20th kill clinched the fourth set, 25-16, and a victory in the fall finale for Notre Dame.
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