NOTRE DAME, Ind. (August 28, 2021)
 
In Short
No. 25 Notre Dame (2-1) hit.325 (44-7-114) and proved to be too much for Loyola University Chicago (1-2) in a 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 victory tonight in the final match of the Golden Dome Invitational at Purcell Pavilion. Junior outside hitter Sarah Murczek was selected to the Golden Dome Invitational All-Tournament Team after producing 2.36 kills, 2.73 digs and 0.45 service aces per set over the three matches this weekend.
 
How It Happened
A hot start propelled the host Fighting Irish to a 25-17 victory in the opening set. Notre Dame scored the first five points and eight of the first nine to break the contest open for an 8-1 lead. Loyola would claw its way back within striking distance, getting a kill from Murczek to cap a 5-1 spurt that cut a 14-6 deficit to 15-11. Still in possession of a four-point edge later in the set, the Irish rattled off five unanswered points, with three players tallying kills in that stretch, to extend their lead to 23-14.
 
Notre Dame assembled an 8-2 run in the second set to snap a tie and gather a 14-8 lead. The hosts were seemingly in control with their advantage sitting at 18-12, but kills from four different Ramblers comprised a 7-2 run that brought them within a point, at 20-19. Following a kill from Aubrey Hamilton, Addie Barnes drilled one of her own to get Loyola within a single tally yet again. However, that was as close as the Ramblers would get, with ND running off four of the final six points for a 25-22 decision.
 
Behind an 11-1 run that gave them a 15-5 edge, the Fighting Irish took command of the third set en route to a 25-20 victory. The Ramblers wouldn't go down without a fight and surged late, closing within four (24-20) on an ace from Olivia Lovett, but Hamilton followed with a kill to finish off the match.
 
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Loyola just couldn't get on track offensively all evening and hit just .098 (34-23-112) for the match.
• For the second time today, Barnes paced the Ramblers in kills, slamming seven, while pitching in eight digs and four assists.
• Anna Feldkamp, Taylor Venuto and Murczek totaled six kills apiece, with Murczek also adding nine digs.
• Grace Hinchman, in her first appearance of the season, dug a team-best 21 balls.
• Hamilton walloped a match-high 14 kills to lead the Fighting Irish.

 
Up Next
Loyola will host the Rambler Challenge, September 3 and 4 at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers open the four-team, round-robin tournament Friday afternoon when they square off with Eastern Kentucky at 12:30 p.m.