SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame College (12-17, 6-7 MEC) battled Fairmont State University (24-4, 10-3 MEC) on Tuesday evening, including taking a brief lead in the third set, before ultimately falling 3-1 inside Murphy Gymnasium.
 
Notre Dame started the match up 3-0, as the Falcons held early leads in three out of the four sets. However, Fairmont State quickly responded with a 6-0 run to move ahead, 6-3. After the two sides went back and forth, NDC reclaimed a 13-12 lead, following a 5-1 run. The FSU Falcons closed out the set on a 13-5 run, to win the frame 25-18.
 
NDC opened set two on top 5-0, following a service ace by sophomore Grace Smotek. Smotek tied her career-high and the game-high with four aces in the match.
 
Notre Dame continued to control the score at 11-4, until FSU rattled off 11 of the next 13 points to hold a 15-13 advantage. Next, NDC stuck their talons in the ground and produced a 10-1 run to regain the lead at 23-16. Sophomore Samantha Comer punctuated the run and the set at 25-21, as the Galion, Ohio native tallied eight kills in the stanza.
 
Fairmont State earned an early 9-2 lead during set three and never looked back. FSU took the third, 25-14.
 
In the final set, NDC once again paved a 5-0 lead after a kill by freshman Ryleigh Ronald. However, FSU answered with a strong 18-6 run over the majority of the set to lead 18-11. Notre Dame showed life with a 4-0 run, moving the score to 22-18, but Fairmont State took the match 25-18.
 
The NDC Falcons were led on offense by Comer's team-high and game-high 15 kills, along with Ronald's eight and senior Kaye Dregalla who had six.
 
Sophomore Caris Cross registered a game-high 34 assists on the night.
 
Defensively, NDC was led by three sophomores as Kiley Kalina totaled a team-high 18 digs, followed by Smotek with 15 and Lucy Smith with 13.
 
At the net, senior Carli Derda blocked a game-high five attacks.
 
The Notre Dame College volleyball team will be back in action on Friday Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. when NDC travels to Wheeling University.