STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back in action this weekend as they compete in the StarkVegas Classic hosted by Mississippi State.
The Irish face Michigan at 7 pm ET on Saturday, Sept. 7, and Mississippi State at 1 pm ET on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Notre Dame is coming off of a 2-0 weekend after sweeping Villanova and defeating Santa Clara in four in the Catholic Challenge last weekend. With big performances from Ella Sandt, Hattie Monson, and Anna Bjork, all three were named to the Catholic Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Bjork, a freshman middle blocker, had a great opening weekend with the Irish as she recorded 14 kills, a .480 hitting percentage, 11 blocks, and nine digs.
Phyona Schrader had a big first weekend of her senior season with 19 kills, 29 assists, 9 blocks, and five aces.
NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN – Saturday, September 7 at 7 PM ET (6 PM CT)
Location: Starkville, Miss.| Newell-Grissom Building
LIVE STATS | SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
NOTRE DAME vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE – Sunday, September 8 at 2 PM ET (1 PM CT)
Location: Starkville, Miss.| Newell-Grissom Building
WATCH ON SECN+ | LIVE STATS | SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN
- This will be the 18th meeting between the Irish and the Wolverines with Notre Dame leading the overall series 9-8.
- The last match up between the two squads was back in 2019. Notre Dame and Michigan played twice that year in a home and home, with the Irish taking the first match in a close five-set battle (25-23, 27-29, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13) on Sept. 18. Just a few days later, Michigan would win it in four (23-25, 15-25, 25-20, 16-25) on Sept. 22.
HISTORY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
- This is just the third time in program history that the Irish and Bulldogs have faced off with the overall series split at 1-1.
- Notre Dame and Mississippi State last played each other back in 2022, where the Bulldogs traveled to South Bend to compete in the Irish Invitational in Coach Rockwell’s first season with the Irish. Mississippi State won in three (19-25, 16-25, 18-25). Avery Ross led the Irish with nine kills, followed by Phyona Schrader with six and Lucy Trump with five.
- The very first match up was back in 2015, where Notre Dame defeated the Bulldogs in four sets (28-26, 24-26, 25-14, 25-16) on Sept. 11 in Purcell Pavilion.
FRESH FACES
- Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class ranked 13th in the nation according to Prep Dig.
- The Irish welcome six freshman to the team, bringing the Irish to a roster size of 22 – Rockwell’s largest roster since starting in 2022.
- The freshman class consists of Grace Langer (MB), Anna Bjork (MB), Kailyn Greene- Gordon (OPP), Mia Radeff (OH), Morgan Gaerte (OH), and Mallory Bohl (MB).
- Gaerte was the number one recruit coming out of Indiana, hailing from Angola High School, just a little over an hour from South Bend.
- Notre Dame also welcomes setter Ella Sandt to the 2024 squad, a graduate transfer from Saint Mary’s.
KEY RETURNERS
- The Irish return five rising sophomores, six rising juniors, a pair of rising seniors, and a pair of graduate students.
- Notre Dame’s two graduate students, Hattie Monson and Lauren Tarnoff, are each using their fifth and final seasons to finish their careers at ND. Monson led the Irish with 397 digs last season, while Tarnoff was second on the team last season in blocks (84).
- Senior Phyona Schrader is also back for another season with the Irish. Schrader led the conference last season with the only triple double recorded in the ACC. She tallied 14 kills, 22 assists, and 13 digs in the win over Wake Forest at home on November 17, 2023.
- Outside hitter Lucy Trump returns for her junior season as she tallied 135 kills and was second on the team with 22 aces. She led the Irish offensively her freshman year with 252 kills.
POINT LEADING PALAZZOLO
- Sydney Palazzolo joined the Irish last season after spending her first two seasons as an all-conference standout at High Point.
- Palazzolo was named Second Team All-ACC and was a top-5 leader in the ACC in eight different categories last year:
– Total attacks (1,092) – Ranked 1st
– Attacks per set (10.81) – Ranked 1st
– Aces per set (.50) – Ranked 2nd
– Kills per set (3.85) – Ranked 2nd
– Points (461.5) – Ranked 2nd
– Points per set (4.57) – Ranked 3rd
– Service Aces (50) – Ranked 3rd
– Total Kills (389) – Ranked 5th