INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Freshman Sydney Bray dazzles in collegiate debut as the Notre Dame College volleyball team (1-1) split day one of the UIndy tournament on Friday. NDC fell in game one to the host school (UIndy, 4-1) 3-0, but rebounded to defeat Central State (1-7) in the night cap, grabbing win number one on the year.
 
UIndy jumped out of the gate in set one with an early 5-0 lead. The two sides battled back-and-forth as the scoreboard read 12-9 following a pair of Bray kills. Later in the set, the Falcons rattled off four straight points pulling the score to 20-17 Greyhounds. However, UIndy secured five of the last seven points to claim the first set 25-19.
 
Junior Grace Smotek started the scoring in the second set with a kill, but the Greyhounds claimed six of eight points to hold a 9-4 advantage. UIndy controlled the stanza, posting an 11-3 scoring run to move ahead 22-11, before claiming the frame 25-15.
 
Despite allowing a 6-1 run to begin the third set, Notre Dame held a 9-8 lead following four consecutive points, highlighted by a Kelsie Palmer kill. UIndy responded with five of the next six points to move in front 13-10. The score became knotted at 13-13 thanks to a pair of Greyhound errors and a kill from Lilliana Mook. With the score level at 15-15, Indianapolis closed out the match with 10 of the final 14 points, taking the set 25-19.
 
Bray paced the NDC volleyball team on both sides of the net. The freshman totaled a game-high 13 kills and five blocks, as she was joined by Mook with six kills, Smotek with five, and Palmer with four.
 
Junior Jayme Zoeckler turned in a double-double (assists-digs) with 23 assists and 14 digs. Junior libero Kiley Kalina led the match with game-high 21 digs and two service aces.
 
NDC posted 31 kills on 121 total attacks (.066 attack percentage), to go with 28 assists, two aces, 58 digs and five blocks. UIndy flashed 41 kills on 115 total attacks (.261 attack percentage), to go with 38 assists, six aces, 52 digs and seven blocks.
 
The Falcons bounced back in game two of the UIndy Tournament by dismantling Central State (1-7) in straight sets.
 
Lilliana Mook got the scoring started, registering back-to-back kills as NDC went on top 4-1. After Notre Dame tallied five of seven points to take a 12-6 lead, Central State rattled off eight points in a row to grab a 14-12 edge. The Falcons promptly responded with a 5-0 run, regaining the lead 17-14. NDC generated a 6-0 run, fueled by a flurry of kills from Grace Smotek to ultimately earn the first set 25-20.
 
Notre Dame picked up where they left off by producing an early 5-1 advantage in set two. NDC kept their foot on the gas with an 8-1 run to move in front 16-6. The Marauders would not go away as they mounted seven of nine points, cutting the Falcon lead to 22-16. Notre Dame made a final push and put together a 3-0 run, closing out set two 25-16.
 
Once again, the Falcons secured the early lead in set three after a pair of Maruader errors, a kill by Mook and ace by Jayme Zoeckler (4-1). CSU continued to claw their way back into the match as the scoreboard read 8-6 Falcons. Next, Notre Dame took control of the frame by earning nine of twelve points to show a commanding 17-9 advantage. Despite three straight Central State points, NDC closed out the contest on an 8-2 flurry, sweeping Central State to grab a split on Friday. The win marks the first of the season for Notre Dame and the first win under head coach Erica Kostelac.
 
Bray built off the performance in game one, turning in a game-high and career-high 14 kills on a .423 attack percentage. The freshman was joined by Mook's career-high nine kills, Smotek's eight and Kelsie Palmer's five (.625 attack percentage). Zoeckler aided the offense with a game-high 35 assists and four aces.
 
Libero Kiley Kalina recorded a game-high 17 digs, followed by Smotek with nine and Bray with six. Bray added defensive assistance with three blocks, as Palmer swatted a game-high five Marauder attacks.
 
In comparing the two sides, the Falcons totaled 38 kills on 103 total attacks (.214 attack percentage), to go with 37 assists, seven aces, 49 digs and six blocks. CSU tallied 22 kills on 103 total attacks (.000 attack percentage), to go with 19 assists, six aces, 39 digs and four blocks.
 
The Notre Dame College volleyball team is back in action tomorrow Sept. 9 beginning at 9 a.m. for day two of the UIndy Tournament. The Falcons will face Northwood before rounding out the tournament with Florida Southern College at 3 p.m.