Middletown, PA — Notre Dame of Maryland dropped its United East Conference opener on the road, falling 3–0 (14–25, 18–25, 11–25) to Penn State Harrisburg at the Capital Union Building.

The Gators (7–3, 0–1 UE) struggled to find offensive consistency against a strong Lions attack that hit .438 for the match. Senior outside hitter Kaliyah Brown led Notre Dame with 13 kills on 31 swings, hitting .226 while adding five digs. Myla Palmer was also a bright spot offensively, finishing with nine kills and a .167 hitting percentage.

Setter Alyson Lackovic directed the Gator offense with 14 assists, 10 digs, and a service ace, while Izzy Stewart anchored the back row with nine digs. Shelbey Willson chipped in defensively with five digs and two assists.

Despite competitive stretches in the second set, Notre Dame was unable to slow Harrisburg's balanced attack, which featured four players hitting over .375 on the afternoon. The Lions (8–4, 1–0 UE) closed the match with their most dominant frame, holding the Gators to just four kills in the third.

Notre Dame will look to bounce back as conference play continues next week when they host Wilson College on Tuesday, September 30 at 7 PM.