Notre Dame Upsets N.C. State in Five Behind Yeadon’s 17 Kills

  0 Brandon Johnson | November 19th, 2017 | ACC, College - Women's Indoor, News

Match Info

  • N.C. State at Notre Dame (ACC Match)
  • Notre Dame, Indiana
  • Notre Dame improves to 21-8 (11-7 ACC); N.C. State drops to 19-10 (14-4 ACC)
  • Attendance: 1195
  • Box Score

Jemma Yeadon led three Notre Dame Fighting Irish players into double digits in kills as the hosts upset the visiting N.C. State Wolfpack in a hard fought, defensive battle that took five sets to decide. Set scores were 27-25, 22-25, 26-24, 24-26 and 15-9. Sam Fry (13 digs) and Meg Morningstar each tallied 11 kills for the Irish who improved to 21-8 (11-7 ACC). Caroline Holt dished out 45 assists while Ryann DeJarld totalled 33 digs. Notre Dame faces Syracuse and Boston College to end the regular season starting on Wednesday, November 22nd.

The Fighting Irish collected an impressive 21 blocks as their defense held the Wolfpack to a .144 hit percentage. That block total, along with a 10-3 ace advantage, allowed the Irish to win a match in which they themselves struggled on the offensive end, hitting only .143. The Wolfpack held a 106-92 advantage in digs as well as 66-48 assists advantage, but it was not enough as they dropped to 19-10 (14-4 ACC). The 106 digs set a new school record in the rally scoring era for the Wolfpack. Even with the loss, they kept their standing in third place in the ACC with two matches to go.

Julia Brown led N.C. State with 25 kills while Teni Sopitan added 15 kills. Kaitlyn Kearney had 13 kills on a .480 hitting percentage. Kylie Pickrell dished out 58 assists to go along with 20 digs while Emily Harris and Kassie Kasper chipped in 23 and 22 digs respectively. The Wolfpack close out the last week of the regular by facing Duke and Wake Forest on November 22nd and 24th.

 

Press Release:

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame (21-8, 11-7 ACC) sent the senior class out in fashion on Senior Day, as the Irish outlasted a very good NC State team in a thrilling 3-2 (27-25, 22-25, 26-24, 24-26, 15-9) victory. The Irish block was phenomenal on Sunday, racking up 21.0 team blocks in the match, which is a program record for the 25-point scoring era.

Notre Dame wraps up the regular season with a home record of 13-4, which are the most home wins the team has recorded since finishing with a record of 15-1 in home matches during the 2005 campaign. The triumph extends the current win streak to five matches, marking the second longest of the season.

The Irish received a number of impressive individual performances against NC State. Sophomore Jemma Yeadon and seniors Sam Fry and Sydney Kuhn each finished with double-digit kills for the afternoon. Junior Ryann DeJarld recorded a team-high 33 digs while senior teammate Natalie Johnson tallied a season-best 19 digs. Two other notable performance were senior Caroline Holt’s 45 assists and junior Meg Morningstar’s team-high 10 blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish and NC State played a really competitive opening set. The Wolfpack led 19-16 before Notre Dame responded with four consecutive points to go on top 20-19. The Irish outlasted the visitors in the first frame, pulling out a 27-25 victory to take an early 1-0 advantage in the match. Yeadon posted a team-best six kills to help the Irish take the first.

The Wolfpack jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the second set but the Irish dug in and fought back to take a lead at 12-11 midway through the frame. The score moved to 18-18 and then NC State won the next three points to go up 21-18. Notre Dame was unable to make a comeback and the Wolfpack took the set 25-22 to level the match at 1-1.

The third set was tight throughout, as neither side led by more than three points at any moment of the frame. NC State was on the cusp of taking the lead in the match, as the visitors had a set point at 24-23 but the Irish had other ideas. Notre Dame took advantage of a Wolfpack service error by following it with a kill from Yeadon and a block from Fry and Holt to win the set 26-24 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

For the second time on the afternoon NC State rebounded following dropping a set, as the Wolfpack outlasted the Irish in the fourth frame 26-24 to tie the match at 2-2. Notre Dame had a chance to end the match in four sets, as the team had match point at 24-23 in the stanza but could not put the visitors away.

Despite dropping the fourth frame, the Irish were not going to be denied in the final home match of the year. The fifth set was tied at 5-5 early before Notre Dame claimed the next two point to take a 7-5 lead, which they did not relinquish the rest of the way. The Wolfpack tried to keep it close, using a kill to make the score 10-8 in Notre Dame’s favor but the Irish closed the match strongly, winning five of the last six points to come away with a 15-9 fifth set win to take the match 3-2.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Yeadon continued her excellent 2017 campaign on Sunday, flirting with a triple-double. The sophomore finished with a team-high 17 kills and added seven digs and seven blocks against the Wolfpack. The seven blocks tied a career-high for the Mercer Island, Washington, native.

STAT OF THE MATCH

The Irish decided to throw a block party for Senior Day, as Notre Dame recorded a season-high 21.0 team blocks, which mark a program record since the NCAA switched to 25-point scoring before the 2008 season. The last time the Irish finished with 20+ blocks in a match came in a five-set match against Villanova in 2007.

HEAD COACH Jim McLaughlin’S TAKE

On the team’s fight…

“We played clean in the fifth game and we just kept fighting and found a really good rhythm when the match was on the line. If it came down to one play it was Sydney [Kuhn] lining up, getting in her spot down the line and blocking the attack. We talk about how one play can change a match and that was a play that gave us the match. If we can approach it the rest of the way as one play at a time, then we will be okay.”

On the team’s blocking…

“We were patient and showed poise. The team listened to [associate head coach] Mike Johnson during the scouting report. We had a good read and handwork and were in great spots to pressure them. We also served well today.”

On the senior class…

“They have made a great impact. The season is not over but the impact has been incredible. They have grown and they are changing every day but I love the commitment, the energy and the effort that they give every day.”

NOTES OF THE MATCH

  • With the win, the Irish leveled the all-time series with NC State at 4-4.
  • Notre Dame finishes the regular season with a 13-4 record at home this season, marking the most wins at home since winning 15 in 2005.
  • Notre Dame finished with double-digit blocks for the 17th time in 2017.
  • The Irish hammered out 10 aces, tying for the second most the team has recorded this season.
  • The win pushes Notre Dame’s active winning streak to five matches, marking the second time this season the team has strung at least five straight wins together.
  • Fry has finished with double-digit kills 11 times during her senior campaign.
  • Fry finished the match with a season-high four aces on Senior Day.
  • Yeadon’s 17 kills mark the 245h time this season that the sophomore has notched 10+ kills in a match.
  • DeJarld has now finished with 30+ digs in six matches this season.
  • DeJarld tied her career high for aces in a match with four against the Wolfpack.
  • Johnson’s 19 digs are a season-high for the senior.
  • With 11 kills and 13 digs, Kuhn recorded her eighth double-double of the year.
  • Morningstar reached double figures in blocks in the match and has accomplished the feat two times in 2017.
  • Holt has finished with 40+ assists in 13 matches this season.

UP NEXT

The Irish hit the road over the Thanksgiving holiday for the final week of the regular season. Notre Dame plays at Syracuse at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and then plays the final match of the regular season at Boston College at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 24.

 

Press Release:

Courtesy of N.C. State Athletics

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The NC State volleyball team broke the rally-scoring era program record with 106 digs and forced five sets in the contest, but it was not enough as the Wolfpack dropped a hard-fought battle at Notre Dame, 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 24-26, 26-24, 9-15), Sunday afternoon inside Purcell Pavilion.

The contest featured 51 ties and 23 lead changes, but the Fighting Irish were able to take the fifth set and the match. NC State won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season, 3-2, and was looking to complete the season sweep but was unable.

NC State moves to 19-10 on the year and 14-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play, while Notre Dame improves to 21-8 and 11-7 in conference action.

Worth Noting

– The Wolfpack had four different players record double-digit digs in the contest with three players tallying at least 20.

– It was the first time this season that NC State has had three players record 20 or more digs in the same match, as Emily Harris collected 23, Kassie Kasper added 22 and Kylie Pickrell contributed 20.

– NC State’s 106 digs eclipse the previous rally-scoring era program record of 102 set against Clemson in 2012.

Match Rewind

– NC State started the match strong, as the Wolfpack raced out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set following consecutive kills from Kaitlyn Kearney.

– The Pack grabbed a 12-9 lead in the frame after Bree Bailey’s dig carried over the net and fell in for a kill, which resulted in a timeout by Notre Dame.

– NC State fought off Notre Dame’s first set-point opportunity but the Irish closed out the set later with consecutive points to win it, 27-25.

– NC State won five of the first six points in the second set and extended the advantage to 10-6 after a kill from Brown.

– The Wolfpack pulled ahead 21-18 after three consecutive points to force a timeout by the Irish.

– Brown’s kill gave NC State set point at 24-20 and Notre Dame fought off two attempts before another kill from Brown to give the Wolfpack the 25-22 set win.

– The third set featured 16 ties, six lead changes and neither team led by more than three points.

– NC State took a 24-23 lead after a 4-1 run and owned set point, but Notre Dame countered with three unanswered points to win the set, 26-24.

– Notre Dame led 23-21 in the fourth set, but NC State responded by winning five of the next six rallies to win the set, 26-24, to force a decisive fifth set.

– The Irish pulled away from the Wolfpack with three consecutive points to grab a 10-7 lead and went on to win the frame, 15-9.

Top Performers

– Brown led all players in the match with 22 kills and also contributed 19 digs defensively to record her 11th double-double of the season.

Teni Sopitan tallied 15 kills for the Wolfpack, while Kearney put down 13 complemented by a .480 attacking percentage, seven blocks and five digs.

– At the setter position, Pickrell dished out a match-high 58 and collected 20 digs to earn her ninth double-double.

Up Next

NC State returns to action Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 22 against Duke. The match is slated to begin at 2 p.m. inside Cameron Indoor Stadium and be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.

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