NORTH CANTON, Ohio — On the first day of the Cavalier Invitational, hosted by Walsh University, Notre Dame College improved to 6-0 on the season with a 3-2 win over Mercyhurst University. Later on Friday, Walsh became the first team to defeat NDC in the fall 2021 season, winning 3-1.
 
In match one, the Falcons won a thriller five-set match against Mercyhurst, who fell to 2-3 on the season.
 
The match started out tight at 9-9. But Notre Dame dominated the latter half of the first set to claim it 25-15. Mercyhurst would come back and steal the second set in a back and forth battle 25-23. NDC flexed their first set muscles once again with a commanding 25-18 win in the third set. However, again the Lakers stormed back to force a fifth set by winning set four by a score of 25-18. In a down-to-the-wire fifth set, the Falcons prevailed 15-13 to preserve the perfect season. The match marked the first five-set match of the season for NDC.
 
Sophomore Kelsie Palmer is a large part to the early season success for the Falcons. In match one, Palmer posted a match-high 14 kills. Junior Kaye Dregalla added 12 kills of her own, while junior Katie Richardson and freshman Grace Smotek added ten apiece in a balanced attack for the Falcons.
 
Per usual, sophomore McKenzie Andrix was on fire setting up the Falcon attack with 41 assists. Andrix led the match in the category by 20 over any other player.
 
Smotek and senior Amelia Kaeberlein held down the backline with 29 and 26 digs, respectively. Smotek's mark was another match-high.
 
Stuffing the Laker attack was Palmer who blocked a team-high four balls, followed by junior Carli Derda with three and Richardson with two.
 
Notre Dame started the second match of the day the same way they have every game so far this season, by winning the first set. In the 25-20 set win, the Falcons hit percentage was a strong 37-percent. NDC jumped out to a 4-1 lead and never looked back, leading the rest of the way.
 
Although the second set was very close early on, with the score tied three times, Walsh used several long runs to extend their lead. Later in the set, already leading 18-14, WU put the next four points on the scoreboard to put it out of reach. Walsh won 25-17.
 
The two teams went point for point, and the score was tied 10 times in the third set. However, after NDC pulled ahead 17-16, Walsh went on a 9-2 run to win 25-19. In the fourth set, Notre Dame led by as many as five points, but the Cavaliers again put together a late run to win 25-22.
 
Dregalla had a season-high 15 kills and seven digs for NDC, while Andrix totaled 40 digs in game two and a total of 81 for the day. Smotek put down five aces, which is tied for second most in program history in a four-set match, and Richardson had four aces as Notre Dame totaled 11 for the game.
 
On the defensive side, Kaeberlein led the way with 17 digs, while Palmer and Richardson each had four blocks.
 
NDC will start early on Saturday, playing Daemen College at 10 a.m. and Davenport University at 2 p.m.