Wake Falls to Notre Dame in Gritty Four-Set Affair

Friday, October 11

Winston-Salem, N.C.

6 PM

Wake Forest University

11-5, 1-4ACC

Notre Dame

12-3, 5-0ACC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Notre Dame	29	20	25	25	3
Wake Forest	27	25	20	22	1

10/11/2019 10:49:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Wake Athletic Communications

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball (11-5, 1-4 ACC) dropped a gritty four-set contest to Notre Dame (12-3, 5-0) on Friday night at Reynolds Gym.

Junior Jaclyn Childress led the way with a career-best 16 kills. Caitlyn Della and Peyton Suess added 15 kills apiece. Suess also added 17 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Setter Madeline Holt tallied a season-best 50 assists, and Caitlin Clarke led the way defensively with 20 digs.

"It was a good battle," head coach Randi Smart said. "We had moments to win that we didn't take control of and we didn't convert on some easier balls. We have to learn from that. But to really compete with Notre Dame and to have chances to win each set is huge for the team, but we still have to learn how to finish."

"Jaclyn is a fighter, she battles everything in life, and we see that on the court," Smart said. "She never quits, she doesn't care what the score is or who the opponent is. She gives everything she has all the time and she kept us in this game from start to finish."

The first set featured 17 ties and six lead changes, but fell in favor of Notre Dame, 29-27. Wake took a 10-7 lead, but the Fighting Irish went on a 3-0 run to tie the set 10-10. Notre Dame held in to the lead, until a kill from Childress put the Deacs back in front 24-23, however three late service errors from Wake handed Notre Dame the first set.

Wake Forest came back out strong, hitting .478 behind 13 kills on 23 attempts in the second set. The Deacons controlled the lead for the entire set, only letting the Fighting Irish back within four late in the frame. A Notre Dame service error sealed the 25-20 decision for Wake to tie the match 1-1.

Notre Dame jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set, but Wake chipped away to get within one, 7-6. Notre Dame then strung together a 6-0 run to take a 13-6 advantage and hold onto the lead for the remainder of the stanza, to eventually come out on top 25-20.

The Deacs opened the fourth frame with a 10-6 lead, but a 4-0 run from Notre Dame evened the set at 10-10. Both sides rallied back-and-forth tying the set at 21-all before Notre Dame won four of the final five points to seal the four-set victory and remain perfect in ACC play.

Wake will return to the court on Sunday to host No. 25 Louisville at 1 p.m.