SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back in action this weekend as they face the Toledo Rockets in a home-and-home match up on Friday and Sunday. The Irish (4-2) will host the Rockets on Friday, September 15 in Purcell Pavilion and then hit the road as they play at Toledo (2-7) on Sunday, September 17 in Savage Arena.
NOTRE DAME vs. TOLEDO
Location: South Bend, Ind. | Purcell Pavilion
TV: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click here
Twitter Updates: @NDvolleyball
Promotion: 90’s Night
NOTRE DAME at TOLEDO
Location: Toledo, Ohio | Savage Arena
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: Click here
Twitter Updates: @NDvolleyball
A WEEK IN REVIEW
- The Fighting Irish are undefeated at home after an exciting 2-0 weekend in Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame won the Irish Invitational (Sept. 7-9) as they defeated the Illinois Illini and Oklahoma Sooners.
- The Irish took down the Illini in straight sets on Thursday, Sept. 7, winning 25-21, 25-19, 25-22. On Saturday, it was a five set thriller inside of Purcell as they defeated Oklahoma 27-29, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 18-16.
- Libero Hattie Monson and setter Nicole Drewnick were named to the Irish Invitational All-Tournament Team and Sydney Palazzolo was named the Irish Invitational MVP.
- Sydney Palazzolo finished with 15 kills in the win over the Illini and matched a career high 25 kills on Sunday against Oklahoma, tallying 40 kills on the weekend and averaging five kills a set. She is currently leading the ACC with 4.56 kills per set this season and is also leading the conference with 5.24 points per set.
- Nicole Drewnick dished out 81 assists on the weekend, averaging 10.13 assists per set. Lauren Tarnoff’s defense at the net was an important piece for the Irish as she tallied 11 blocks, including two solo blocks. Freshman Ava Lange had herself a weekend as well with 22 kills across both matches.
HISTORY VS. TOLEDO
- This will be the seventh meeting between the Irish and the Rockets.
- Notre Dame is undefeated against the Rockets as they lead the overall series 6-0.
- Notre Dame last faced Toledo on August 25, 2018 in the Golden Dome Invitational hosted at Notre Dame as the Irish took home the sweep 25-17, 25-14, 25-22.
- The Irish have swept the Rockets in five of their six matches, with just one set going into five in 2001. Notre Dame won in five on the road, taking down the Rockets 29-31, 30-25, 30-17, 27-30, 15-11.
MEET THE TRANSFERS
- Two transfers join the Irish for the 2023 season. Sydney Palazzolo enters into her junior season after spending freshman and sophomore year at High Point. Nicole Drewnick is a graduate transfer hailing from Georgia Tech.
- Palazzolo had a decorated two seasons in North Carolina, earning a plethora of awards at High Point.
- Last season, Palazzolo earned Big South Player of the Year and Big South First Team All-Conference honors and was named the Big South All-Tournament MVP. She was recognized as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region player and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. She was also tabbed as the Big South Player of the Week three times.
- Palazzolo finished her sophomore season with a team-best 443 kills, 321 digs, 27 blocks, and led the conference with 42 service aces.
- Not only was she recognized as the Big South Freshman of the Year in 2021, but she was also named to the Big South All-Conference Second Team and All-Freshman Team.
- While Drewnick spent her freshman season at Nebraska, she most recently has spent the last two seasons with Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
- Drewnick appeared in 20 matches and 43 sets last season with the Yellow Jackets and finished the season with 99 assists and 16 digs.
MEET THE FRESHMEN
- Five freshmen join the Irish for the 2023 season. Freshmen additions include Alyssa Manitzas, Lily Fenton, Logan Brannan, Olivia Maulding, and Ava Lange.
- Manitzas was a part of the Under Armour All-American game and was also named the 2021 Prep Dig Top Libero in Texas. The San Antonio, TX native is the all-time dig leader at Cornerstone Christian High School.
- Fenton was a First Team All-Conference and All-District player out of Latrobe, PA. Fenton was a three-year captain and was the Greater Latrobe High School program all-time assist leader.
- Brannan hails from Lake Travis High School in Austin, TX and was a First Team All-District and TGCA All-State honoree.
- A gradute of La Salle Prep, Maulding was named the 2022 Northwest Oregon Co-player of the Year, while also being named to the 2022 Oregon State Championship All-Tournament Team. Maulding was recognized as the 2022 Volleyball Magazine Top Performer in Oregon.
- Lange was a nationally recognized four star player out of Playa Del Rey, CA, who was named to the AVCA All-America Watch List and played in the 2022 USAV Girls 17’s Junior National Championship.
RETURNERS
- The Irish return six rising sophomore, a pair of rising juniors, and a trio of rising seniors.
- Sophomores Lucy Trump and Avery Ross were offensive power houses for the Irish last season as both outside hitters led Notre Dame in their first years in an Irish uniform. Trump led the way with 252 kills, followed by Ross with 227 kills.
- Juniors Phyona Schrader and Paris Thompson return for their third seasons at Notre Dame. Thompson returns after tallying 148 kills and 71 digs across 63 sets last season.
- Schrader led the Irish last season with 877 assists and was second on the team with 333 digs. The setter also led the ACC with two triple-doubles and finished second in the conference with 17 double-doubles.
- Hattie Monson, Lauren Tarnoff, and Charity McDowell are rising seniors for the Irish after playing in a combined 259 sets as a class last season.
- Monson played in all 108 sets for the Irish as the libero recorded 453 digs in her junior campaign, while also surpassing the 1,000 career digs mark. She heads into her senior season with 1,163 career digs.
- Both Tarnoff and McDowell return as middle blockers for the Irish as the duo finished with 141 combined blocks; Tarnoff was second on the team with 80 blocks and McDowell was third with 61. Tarnoff also led the Irish with a team-best 15 solo blocks.