PHILIPPI, W.Va. – After handling the first two sets of the match, the Notre Dame College volleyball team (9-12, 3-2 MEC) faced adversity, as Alderson Broaddus (6-9, 0-5 MEC) pushed the game into five sets. However, the Falcons were able to hang on and come away victorious on Tuesday evening, 3-2. NDC's middle blockers were the key to victory with freshman Ryleigh Ronald tying her career-high from a week ago with 12 kills, followed by senior Carli Derda matching her career-best with eight blocks in the match.
 
Notre Dame came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, jumping ahead 14-2 with several NDC Falcons contributing to the effort. The Falcons closed out the first set with a 5-0 run, sealed by senior Blaire Barr's ace (25-12).
 
The second stanza started as an even battle with NDC leading 7-6. Next, the Falcons rattled off a 7-1 run to grab a commanding 14-7 advantage. A mini 3-0 run would be used to polish off the set, 25-19 in favor of Notre Dame College. Ronald and sophomore Grace Smotek tallied kills to close out the frame.
 
During the third set, NDC led 11-6 and 15-10, before Alderson Broaddus flipped the script in the match. The Battlers used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 16-16, before taking four of the final five points in the frame to win 25-21. AB generated a 5-1 run to close out the third set.
 
The fourth set featured five ties as the scoreboard read, 9-9. Alderson Broaddus then claimed nine of the next 11 points to take control of set four, 18-11. The Falcons fought their way back into the set, including cutting the lead to three, but the Battlers forced a decisive fifth set, 25-21.
 
Notre Dame played fundamentally sound in the fifth set, totaling six kills and four blocks, to win 15-7.
 
Leading the Falcons on offense was the aforementioned Ronald, who notched her career-high with 12 kills in the match. Dregalla (11), Derda (7) and junior Brittany Miller (7) aided the NDC attack to 46 total kills.
 
Sophomore setter, Jayme Zoeckler registered a team-high 23 assists on the night.
 
Fellow sophomore Kiley Kalina marked a new career-best with three aces to lead the game.
 
Defensively, Kalina also led the contest with a game-high 19 digs. She was joined by Smotek's 11 as NDC racked up 61 digs in the match.
 
At the net, Notre Dame swatted a season-high 14 AB attacks in the match. Derda paved the way with a game-high and career-high eight blocks, followed by Barr's season-high six and Ronald's five.
 
Both sides were evenly matched, with Notre Dame making the difference with their serving and blocking. NDC flashed 48 kills on a .176 hitting percentage, to go with 38 assists, 61 digs, 14 blocks and six service aces. In comparison, AB showed 46 kills on a .102 hitting percentage, to go with 40 assists, 64 digs, five blocks and two service aces.
 
The Notre Dame College volleyball team will be back in action on Friday Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. when the Falcons return home to welcome West Virginia State University to town.