PITTSBURGH -- Notre Dame fell to Point Park, 3-1, in American Mideast Conference action on Tuesday night. (Box)

With the loss, the Falcons have dropped three of their last four matches, all of which have come on the road. Notre Dame (10-10, 2-3 AMC) lost to Point Park (15-3, 2-0) by scores of 25-15, 16-25, 25-22 and 25-22. Notre Dame is now one game under .500 in conference play, at 2-3. Their loss on Tuesday came at the hands of a red-hot Pioneer squad that has now won 15 straight matches since starting the season 0-3.

“We started slow,” said Head Coach #Mark Ridley#, “and against a quality team like Point Park, you can't do that.”

Junior #Katie Barbis# paced NDC on the night; she had 11 kills and hit .182 on a night when the Falcons hit .086 as a team.

Notre Dame hit .429 in winning the second set, 25-16.  They hit a combined .019 the rest of the match.

Some of that substandard attack percentage should be attributed to PPU.  The Pioneers have now won 15 in a row and haven't lost since Aug. 29.  In fact the Falcons did something Tuesday no other team had done against Point Park in their last four matches, and that's win a set.  The Pioneers came into their match with NDC with a having won 12 straight sets and 36 of their last 40.

#Mandy Bastian# led the NDC backcourt on the night, with 28 digs, the most she's had in a match since Sept. 10.  "I thought the girls played great defense tonight," said Ridley.  "We just couldn't put the ball away when we needed to."

Setter #Kate Verhoff# collected 32 assists and 17 digs.

Notre Dame's next match is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 6, when the Falcons play host to their first home match in over a month. NDC will host Malone in a 7 p.m. match at Murphy Gymnasium. Notre Dame hasn't played a home match since Sept. 2. 


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

PIONEERS MAKE THEIR POINT: Point Park has now won back-to-back games against Notre Dame for the first time in the all-time series between the two programs. NDC leads that series, 14-3; prior to 2008, the Falcons had won 13 straight matches against the Pioneers.

ROAD WARRIORS:  Tuesday's match in Pittsburgh marked the last of 10 straight on the road for NDC.  The Falcons went 6-4 in those away and neutral-site tilts. ... With the win, PPU is now 6-0 at home this season.  The Falcons are 4-4 in eight road matches.