SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-8, 4-6 ACC) are back inside of Purcell Pavilion as they host Miami (14-6, 7-3 ACC) in the Irish Wear Green match on Friday, Oct. 27. The Irish will then face the Florida State Seminoles (15-7, 9-1 ACC) on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1:00 PM. Fans are encouraged to stick around after the match for our player poster autograph session and to participate in wearing Halloween costumes for post-game trick or treating.
NOTRE DAME vs. MIAMI
Location: South Bend, IN | Purcell Pavilion
Time: 6:30 PM
TV: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDvolleyball
NOTRE DAME vs. FLORIDA STATE
Location: South Bend, IN | Purcell Pavilion
Time: 1 PM
TV: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDvolleyball
A WEEK IN REVIEW
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell to Virginia Tech in five (25-22, 20-25, 25-27, 25-20, 13-15) on the road on Friday, Oct. 20 and fell to Wake Forest on the road in three (24-26, 22-25, 18-25) on Sunday, Oct. 22.
- On Friday against the Hokies, the Irish were led by Sydney Palazzolo who finished with 20 kills – landing at the 1,000 career kill milestone exactly after the match. Palazzolo also recorded 10 digs and five service aces. Ava Lange followed with 15 kills and .281 kill percentage.
- Phyona Schrader dished out 25 assists while Harmony Sample finished with 20 assists for the Irish.
- In Sunday’s match against the Demon Deacons, Palazzolo led the way with 17 kills followed by Ava Lange with 10 kills. Nicole Drewnick dished out a team-best 30 assists.
- Purcell was packed the weekend the Irish were at home as ND faced Virginia on Friday, Oct. 13 and Pitt on Sunday, Oct. 15. Friday’s crowd of 2,070 and Sunday’s crowd of 2,016 were the highest attendance numbers the program has had in the last nine years and are the 17th and 18th highest attended matches in program history.
- Since the start of the #RockwellEra, attendance has been up 175% and is up 83% since last year.
HISTORY VS. MIAMI
- This will be the 19th meeting between the Irish and the Hurricanes with the overall series tied at 9-9.
- Notre Dame and Miami’s last matchup was on the road last season as the Irish faced Miami on Sunday, Sept. 25, where Notre Dame fell in a five set thriller (13-25, 12-25, 25-20, 28-26, 13-15).
- The Irish were led by Avery Ross with 14 kills, followed by Lauren Tarnoff who finished with 13 kills and a season-high seven blocks. Lucy Trump recorded 11 kills. Charity McDowell finished with four blocks for the Irish, while Phyona Schrader dished out 43 assists and Hattie Monson tallied 21 digs.
- The last match up in Purcell was Sept. 26, 2021, where the Irish fell in three (21-25, 15-25, 22-25) at home.
HISTORY VS. FLORIDA STATE
- This will be the 22nd meeting between the Irish and the Seminoles with FSU leading the overall series 16-5.
- The Irish finished 0-2 against FSU last season as Notre Dame fell to the Seminoles on the road as the Irish opened up ACC play back on Sept. 23, 2022 in Tallahassee. Notre Dame fell in three (20-25, 18-25, 17-25).
- Notre Dame faced the Seminoles in Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 11, 2022 as they fell in a close five set battle to FSU (18-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-14, 10-15). The Irish were led by Lucy Trump with 17 kills, followed by Phyona Schrader with 11 kills and a .562 kill percentage.
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.