Hokie ClubNOTRE DAME, Ind. -- The Virginia Tech volleyball team fell on Sunday as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish posted a 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 22-25) victory.
The loss dropped Virginia Tech's record to 9-10 overall and 2-6 in ACC play.
Ava Francis finished with 10 kills on the day to lead the Hokies offense. Defensively, Tech had three players reach double figures in digs, including Maddie Slagle's 14, 12 from Logan Mosley, and 10 more from Hanna Borer. Borer also recorded another double-double, adding 30 assists. From the front row, Cara Lewis contributed nine blocks and Sydney Petersen added six rejections, as the Hokies led the Irish in total blocks with 14 in the match.
Game Notes
» Virginia Tech had three players in double figures in digs.
» Cara Lewis had a match-high nine blocks.
» The Virginia Tech block excelled in a second-set win, shutting down eight Notre Dame attacks.
» Ava Francis had a team-high 10 kills for Virginia Tech.
» Virginia Tech got a team-high 14 digs from Maddie Slagle.
» Virginia Tech attackers were helped by a team-high 30 assists from Hanna Borer.
How It Happened
The Hokies fell behind early, losing the first set 25-21. In a back-and-forth set, Notre Dame grabbed the advantage for good at 20-19. The Hokies had tied the set at 19-19 after a kill from Cera Powell but the Irish came out of the timeout to take the win. Powell and Petersen each led Tech with three kills, as Powell added six digs in the first.
Virginia Tech responded to pick up a 25-20 victory in set two, evening the match at one set apiece. A powerful defensive showing helped the Hokies, who totaled six blocks in the set win. The Hokies rallied from down five at 17-12 to claim the set two win, fueled by four blocks from freshman Sarah Malinowski. Tech held Notre Dame to a -.026 hitting percentage. Malinowski also had three kills in the set to lead Tech to the win. Also on the defensive end, Maddie Slage had six digs to help the Hokies cause.
Notre Dame went ahead 2-1 in the match after defeating the Hokies in set three. The Hokies lost the set 25-20 in spite of a strong showing on the attacking end. Virginia Tech registered a .316 hitting percentage with 15 kills in the set loss. The Hokies battled, cutting the Notre Dame lead to 21-20, but the Irish closed the set with four straight points to close out the set. Lewis had a good set offensively, leading Tech with four kills.
Virginia Tech then lost the fourth set 25-22 to finish off the match. The Hokies hit .351 in the final set with 16 kills but could not handle the serve as the Irish recorded three aces. Notre Dame also had its best offensive performance in the fourth set with a .333 hitting percentage and 18 kills. For Notre Dame, Paris Thompson led all attackers with 16 kills, as Kalyn Winkler and Maisie Alexander were also in double figures. Hattie Monson added a match-high 23 digs to help the defense.
The Hokies are back in action next weekend, making the trip to Florida to take on Florida State and Miami.