Volleyball team struggles, falls to Notre Dame 3-0

Sophomore outside hitter Anna Haak (8) jumps up to return the ball during the Hurricanes’ 3-0 loss to Notre Dame at the Knight Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. Ben Spiro // Contributing Photographer
Sophomore outside hitter Anna Haak (8) jumps up to return the ball during the Hurricanes’ 3-0 loss to Notre Dame at the Knight Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. Ben Spiro // Contributing Photographer
Sophomore outside hitter Anna Haak (8) jumps up to return the ball during the Hurricanes’ 3-0 loss to Notre Dame at the Knight Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. Ben Spiro // Contributing Photographer

The Miami Hurricanes volleyball team lost to Notre Dame 3-0, dropping the team’s ACC record to 0-2 on Sunday morning.

While the numbers indicate a blowout, the first set certainly was not. Junior outside hitter Olga Strantzali carried the Canes (6-8) with eight kills in the first set, but yet again, service errors were the team’s downfall. Miami finished with six in the first set alone, which proved costly enough to lead to a 22-25 loss.

“Six service errors, two ball handling errors, [allowing] three or four aces in that first set, we just gave away too many points to a good opponent,” Head Coach José Gándara said after the game.

The Canes’ competitiveness waned during the second set. The team struggled to secure points at all early on, and were trailing 21-6 to the Fighting Irish before anyone could even realize what happened.

A Strantzali rampage consisting of five kills and one ace made the score appear slightly more encouraging, but the Canes still dropped both the second and third sets 25-15.

“I feel like we have a lot of things to work on,” Strantzali said minutes after falling to Notre Dame. “We’re still not there, like where we want to be. We are a young team with no seniors, but we can’t be using that excuse for the rest of the season.”

One explanation for the Hurricanes’ slow start to ACC play is the injuries that have occurred to both junior starting outside hitter Brooke McDermott and junior preseason All-ACC setter Haley Templeton. True freshman setter Hannah Sorensen has been filling in for Templeton recently.

“Hannah missed the preseason and came straight from high school,” Strantzali said. “It’s hard for her to adjust to the way we play, but she’s been getting better everyday.”

Sorensen finished the day with 31 assists, 15 of which came in the first set.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and I know I have a long way to go,” Sorensen said. “I’m just putting my best foot forward and trying to get better everyday in practice.”

It still remains unclear how long both Templeton and McDermott will be out with their respective injuries.

Miami will next face off against Boston Collegeat 7 p.m. on Friday, with hopes of acquiring its first ACC win of the season. The match will take place at Knight Sports Complex.