PREVIEW: Irish Open Up 2024 Season At Santa Clara

**SANTA CLARA, Calif. –** The Notre Dame Fighting Irish volleyball team kicks off their 2024 season on the road in Santa Clara, CA, as they compete in the Catholic Challenge on Saturday, August 31. The Irish will face Villanova and host Santa Clara at the Leavey Center. Last season, the event was held in Pennsylvania, where Notre Dame swept Villanova in their first match but fell to Santa Clara in a tightly contested five-set battle. Sydney Palazzolo was a standout performer, leading the Irish with 12 kills and a .333 hitting percentage against Villanova and 23 kills and five service aces against Santa Clara.

**MATCH DETAILS**

- **Notre Dame vs. Villanova** – Saturday, August 31 at 4 PM ET (1 PM PT)  

  Location: Santa Clara, Calif. | Leavey Center  

  [WATCH](#) | [LIVE STATS](#) | [SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES](#)

- **Notre Dame vs. Santa Clara** – Saturday, August 31 at 10 PM ET (7 PM PT)  

  Location: Santa Clara, Calif. | Leavey Center  

  [WATCH ON ESPN+](#) | [LIVE STATS](#) | [SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES](#)

**HISTORY VS. VILLANOVA**

- This will be the 25th meeting between Notre Dame and Villanova, with the Irish holding a 20-4 lead in the series.

- The last encounter before last season’s Catholic Challenge was on September 12, 2021, when Notre Dame lost in a five-set match (16-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 9-15).

- Notre Dame previously defeated Villanova on October 21, 2012, with a road sweep (25-15, 25-18, 25-13) during their time as BIG EAST opponents.

**HISTORY VS. SANTA CLARA**

- This matchup marks the seventh meeting between Notre Dame and Santa Clara, with the Broncos leading the series 5-1.

- The last game between the two teams was 13 years ago, on September 18, 2010, at the Notre Dame Invitational, where Notre Dame lost in three sets (18-25, 19-25, 24-26).

**FRESH FACES**

- Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class is ranked 13th nationally by Prep Dig and includes six new players: Grace Langer (MB), Anna Bjork (MB), Kailyn Greene-Gordon (OPP), Mia Radeff (OH), Morgan Gaerte (OH), and Mallory Bohl (MB).

- Gaerte, the top recruit from Indiana’s Angola High School, joins the team, along with setter Ella Sandt, a graduate transfer from Saint Mary’s.

- The Irish now have a roster of 22, the largest since Coach Rockwell’s tenure began in 2022.

**KEY RETURNERS**

- Notre Dame returns five sophomores, six juniors, two seniors, and two graduate students.

- Graduate students Hattie Monson and Lauren Tarnoff return for their final season, with Monson leading the team in digs last season (397) and Tarnoff ranking second in blocks (84).

- Senior Phyona Schrader is back after an impressive season where she led the conference with the only triple-double recorded in the ACC. She achieved 14 kills, 22 assists, and 13 digs in a win over Wake Forest.

- Junior outside hitter Lucy Trump returns after tallying 135 kills and 22 aces last season. She led the team with 252 kills as a freshman.

**POINT-LEADING PALAZZOLO**

- Sydney Palazzolo, who joined Notre Dame last season from High Point, was named Second Team All-ACC and ranked among the top five in eight different ACC categories:

  - Total Attacks (1,092) – 1st

  - Attacks Per Set (10.81) – 1st

  - Aces Per Set (.50) – 2nd

  - Kills Per Set (3.85) – 2nd

  - Points (461.5) – 2nd

  - Points Per Set (4.57) – 3rd

  - Service Aces (50) – 3rd

  - Total Kills (389) – 5th