Hokies earn 3-2 victory over Notre Dame

BLACKSBURG, VA —The Virginia Tech volleyball team knocked off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 27-25, 20-25, 15-13) Friday at home at Cassell Coliseum.

The conference victory improved Virginia Tech’s record to 12-8 overall and 2-7 in ACC play.

The Hokies were led by a double-double from Hailey Pearce, who registered 11 kills and 14 digs on the day. Ava Francis also added 16 kills to help the attack. Pearce also pitched in with five aces in the contest. On the defensive end, Iliana Rodriguez chipped in with 17 digs, and the Hokies got six blocks from Sydney Petersen.

Game Notes

» Virginia Tech had three players in double figures in kills.

» Virginia Tech had three players in double figures in digs.

» Hailey Pearce had a team-high five aces in the win.

» Hailey Pearce registered a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs

» Ava Francis had a team-high 16 kills for Virginia Tech.

» Virginia Tech got a team-high 17 digs from Iliana Rodriguez.

» Virginia Tech attackers were helped by a match-high 47 assists from Hanna Borer.

How It Happened

SET 1 | The Hokies found themselves in an early deficit, losing the first set 25-22. Notre Dame grabbed the advantage for good at 14-13 in a set that was tied up seven times before the Fighting Irish took over in the second half of the set.

SET 2 | Virginia Tech responded to pick up a 25-20 victory in set two, evening the match at one set apiece. The Hokies took a 1-0 lead and never looked back in the set to secure the victory. Virginia Tech opened up as much as a seven point lead at 20-13 before finishing off the set. The Hokies hit .333 over the course of the set. The Virginia Tech offense also got a boost from three aces in the frame. Virginia Tech’s front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Notre Dame attacks in the frame.

SET 3 | Virginia Tech went ahead 2-1 in the match after defeating the Fighting Irish in the third set. The Hokies survived a back-and-forth set to win 27-25 in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied six times. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way. The Virginia Tech offense also got a boost from three aces in the period. Virginia Tech’s front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Notre Dame attacks in the stanza and capitalizing on 10 Notre Dame attacking errors on the way to the set victory.

SET 4 | Virginia Tech couldn’t finish the match, as the Fighting Irish…