SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Irish (9-5, 3-3 ACC) are set to host this weekend as they take on Virginia (8-8, 1-5 ACC) in their Dig Pink match on Friday, Oct. 13 and the No. 8 Pitt Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 15. The second poster of our poster series giveaway will take place on Sunday and an autograph session will follow after the match.
NOTRE DAME vs. VIRGINIA
Location: South Bend, IN | Purcell Pavilion
Time: 6:30 PM
TV: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click here
Twitter Updates: @NDvolleyball
NOTRE DAME vs. #8 PITT
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 finished 1-1 on the weekend after falling to Duke at Cameron Indoor on Friday, Oct. 6 and taking down the North Carolina Tar Heels in a five-set thriller on Sunday, Oct. 8.
- Falling in four to the Blue Devils, the Irish were led by Sydney Palazzolo with 17 kills and four service aces. She was followed by Avery Ross with nine kills and Lucy Trump with seven kills.
- On Sunday, the Irish trailed 2-0 against the Tar Heels, but rallied back to take home the final three sets.
- Nicole Drewnick and Palazzolo each recorded a double-double in the five set win. Palazzolo finished with 19 kills, 10 digs, four service aces, and three blocks. Drewnick dished out 37 assists and tallied 14 digs for the Irish.
HISTORY VS. VIRGINIA
- This will be the 13th meeting between the Irish and the Cavaliers as the overall series is tied at 6-6.
- The Irish fell on the road in three last season and were led by Trump with eight kills. Phyona Schrader and Paris Thompson also chipped in five kills a piece.
- Prior to last season’s loss, Notre Dame had won the last five matchups against Virginia and were on a winning streak from 2017-2021 as the last Cavalier win against the Irish was Nov. 13, 2016 in Purcell Pavilion.
HISTORY VS. PITT
- This will be the 42nd meeting between the Irish and the Panthers with Notre Dame leading the overall series 25-16.
- The Irish have lost the last three matchups with the most recent being last year (10.21.22), where the Irish fell in three sets on the road.
- The last Notre Dame win was on Oct. 16, 2020 as the Irish defeated the Panthers at home in five sets (22-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-20, 17-15).
- The longest ND winning streak was from 1992-2002 where the Irish won 15 straight matches against the Panthers.
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.