SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – A balanced offensive attack for Notre Dame College (10-15, 4-5 MEC) set the stage for a 3-0 sweep of West Virginia Wesleyan College (6-17, 2-7 MEC) on Friday evening. Sophomore Caris Cross set a new Falcon career-high with 31 assists, leading the match.
 
"It felt really good. I definitely don't think I would have been able to do it without the support of my teammates," mentioned Cross happily. "They have definitely helped me to feel more comfortable and so have my coaches. They have done a great job of helping me fill the role and feel good when I play."
 
The Falcons started the match strong by grabbing an 11-6 lead, following a Kiley Kalina service ace. However, the Bobcats responded with a 6-1 run to secure a 16-15 advantage. NDC saw themselves retake the lead at 23-19, after senior Carli Derda tallied a kill. A resilient WVWC answered with another 6-1 run, to move within set point (25-24). With their backs against the wall, Notre Dame rose to the occasion with a quick but efficient 3-0 run, to claim the stanza 27-25. Derda punctuated the set with a perfect service ace.
 
"We really just wanted to hammer down, and one of the big things we struggled with has been finishing after a first set," Cross mentioned. "So we just came out with a lot of energy and a lot of teamwork it felt like. Everybody wanted to do well… It felt like we worked together very well and we just wanted to win"
 
Despite the Bobcats holding a narrow 7-6 lead, and exactly to Cross' point, the Falcons used their momentum from the first set to generate a run. NDC posted an astounding 12-0 run on the back of sophomore Grace Smotek, to leap ahead 18-7. Notre Dame closed out the second set easily, winning 25-12.
 
WV Wesleyan moved in front to begin the third set, 7-5. However, NDC responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead, 10-7. The two sides would battle back and forth for the remainder of the stanza as the Falcon's three-point lead would stand firm. Sophomore Samantha Comer sealed the deal with a kill, delivering Notre Dame a 25-22 victory on Murphy Gymnasium.
 
The Falcons found offense from multiple different avenues with Comer and senior Kaye Dregalla leading the way with eight kills apiece. Senior Blaire Barr (7), Derda (5) and freshman Ryleigh Ronald (5) also added to the attack.
 
As aforementioned, Cross totaled a new Falcon career-high with 31 assists on the evening.
 
Defensively, Kalina paced the game with 14 digs, followed by sophomore Lucy Smith with eight, and junior Ellie Schenk and Smotek, each with seven.
 
In comparing the two sides, NDC posted 38 kills on a .227 hit percentage, to go with 35 assists, 47 digs, seven blocks and seven aces. WVWC showed 33 kills on a .090 hit percentage, to go with 32 assists, 54 digs, two blocks and five aces.
 
The Notre Dame College volleyball team will be back in action on Tuesday Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. when the Falcons travel to West Liberty University. NDC got the best of WLU in four sets during their first meeting back on Sept. 20 in South Euclid.