BALTIMORE, MD – In front of an energized home crowd at the Marion Burk Knott Sports Complex, #4 seed Notre Dame of Maryland University saw their season come to an end despite a spirited performance, falling 3–1 to #5 seeded Cairn University on Saturday afternoon. The tightly contested match saw the Gators take the second set but ultimately fall by scores of 23–25, 28–26, 23–25, 20–25.

In a match that saw a slew of long points, incredible diving effort, and close officiating decisions, the match seemed to sway back and forth between two evenly matched teams. The second set victory saw the Gators make a dramatic comeback late in the set as they were able to snag it away and tie the match at 1-1. NDM again needed a miraculous comeback late in set three, but ultimately fell just short with Cairn riding that momentum to closing out the match in four sets.

Freshman setter Alyson Lackovic turned in an all-around standout performance, recording eight kills on .292 hitting, 20 assists, and a team-high 34 digs to keep the Gators competitive throughout the afternoon. Kaliyah Brown led the offense with 13 kills and 14 digs, while Myla Palmer added 11 kills and seven digs.

Shelbey Willson tallied 15 assists and three service aces, while Carissa Tanseco chipped in two aces and 14 digs to help the defensive effort. Elora Taala was a force at the net, contributing six kills and a team-best five total blocks.

Notre Dame battled from behind in a back-and-forth opening set before edging out a thrilling 28–26 win in the second, highlighted by clutch serving from Tanseco and a kill from Palmer to seal the frame. Cairn responded with narrow victories in the third and fourth sets, capitalizing on late runs to pull away.

As a team, the Gators finished with 47 kills and 46 assists, while totaling 105 digs in one of their strongest defensive showings of the season.

With the result, Notre Dame closes the season with a 16–7 overall record and were 7–3 in United East play, securing another winning campaign under head coach Henry DeTitta. While it will be hard saying goodbye to two beloved seniors in Rosemary O'Brien and Elora Taala, the future of the program looks bright with so many strong returners expected back for the 2026 season.