Boston College volleyball left South Bend without a win, but not without signs of promise.
The Eagles (11–3, 0–2 Atlantic Coast) fell 3–0 to Notre Dame (4–6, 1–1 Atlantic Coast) on Sunday afternoon, closing its first weekend of conference play.
After a flat first set, BC showed resilience in the second and third frames, battling Notre Dame point-for-point and showcasing the depth of its offense. While the Eagles could not finish off their late pushes, the competitiveness of the final two sets offered a glimpse into the growth still ahead in ACC play.
Notre Dame came out swinging in the opening set, jumping to a 9–4 lead at the first media timeout and never looking back.
BC got back on the board with a kill from senior middle blocker Anna Herrington, but the Irish rode a 10–1 run to close the frame 25–9.
From there, the Eagles steadied.
A 6–2 burst to start the second set featured kills from Bella Ehrlich and Herrington, an ace from libero Brookyln Yelland, and timely blocks by Audrey Ross and Cornelia Roach.
Though Notre Dame erased the lead to tie the score at 9–9, BC refused to fold. Ross, who finished with 11 kills, kept the offense alive, while Herrington and Sequoia Layne added crucial swings in the middle.
The Eagles hung tight late before the Irish pulled away for a 25–21 win.
The third set was BC’s best showing. The score was tied eight times before the media timeout, with setter Lucy Mott distributing effectively to keep multiple attackers involved.
Freshman Sofija Marjanovic provided a spark and finished with four kills while Sam Hoppes tallied three. Ross continued to pace the offense and strong defensive efforts from Yelland and Ehrlich helped BC stay within striking distance.
Ultimately, Notre Dame moved ahead later in the set, claiming the win 25–21 to secure the sweep.
Despite the loss, the Eagles showed they could regroup quickly after a slow start and push a conference opponent to the wire. With depth across the lineup and an 11–1 non-conference record to lean on, BC has the pieces to turn its ACC campaign around.
