NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Clemson volleyball won two sets at Notre Dame on Sunday afternoon but could not close it out, falling 3-2 to the Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion. The Tigers took the first set 25-23 and the fourth 25-17, while the Irish won the second 25-18, the third 25-15 and the fifth 15-10.
Lina Merz led the way for the Tigers with a career-best 12 kills, and Bri Washington added a career-high five blocks. Merz and Talea Mitchell each finished with 13.5 points.
Clemson grabbed the opening set after breaking a 19-19 tie with four straight points. Notre Dame answered by taking the next two sets, then the Tigers pulled even again in the fourth, building an 11-7 lead that grew to 20-14 behind blocking from Washington and Kennedy Wagner.
The Irish controlled the net all afternoon. Notre Dame recorded 21 total blocks, its best total of the season, with Portia Zeidler getting 12 of them. Sydney Helmers paced the home side with 24 kills, a career high.
Clemson stayed within a point at 8-7 in the deciding set before Notre Dame pulled away. The loss drops the Tigers to 8-16 overall and 2-10 in ACC play. Next up is a home weekend: Wake Forest visits Clemson at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, and NC State follows at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.
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