Virginia Tech volleyball, which has split its matches in each of its last two weekends, faces off against Notre Dame and No. 3 Louisville on Friday and Sunday at Cassell Coliseum.

Virginia Tech (7-13, 4-8 ACC) begins the weekend against a struggling Notre Dame squad (5-16, 2-10 ACC), which snapped a nine-match losing streak with a five-set victory over Clemson on Sunday. The Fighting Irish have struggled throughout conference play, with their only other ACC victory coming against Syracuse on Sept. 27.

Sunday's matchup presents a significantly different challenge for the Hokies, who welcome one of the nation's top programs to Blacksburg.

Louisville (22-2, 12-0 ACC) enters the weekend atop the ACC standings, having won 12 consecutive matches. The Cardinals have yet to drop a conference match this season and have already swept Notre Dame twice.

The Hokies, meanwhile, have won three of their last five matches after beginning conference play 1-6. With both opponents heading to Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech has an opportunity to continue its recent improvement against two teams on opposite ends of the ACC standings. Here’s a closer look at the squads the Hokies will host this weekend.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame enters the contest tied for second-to-last in the ACC standings with Virginia and Clemson. The Fighting Irish's only two wins in league play came against the Tigers and Syracuse — the only team with fewer than two conference victories.

Notre Dame opened the season with losses to Ball State and Xavier before beating Toledo in Ohio. Four straight losses to Georgia, Northern Kentucky, Duquesne and the College of Charleston followed before the Fighting Irish swept Eastern Illinois in consecutive matches.

Notre Dame opened ACC play with a four-set loss to Boston College before sweeping Syracuse on Sept. 27. The victory marked the beginning of a difficult stretch for the Fighting Irish, who dropped their next nine matches, including consecutive straight-set losses to Louisville. Notre Dame managed to push Duke and Georgia Tech to five sets during the skid before finally returning to the win column against Clemson on Sunday.

Despite Notre Dame's record, the Fighting Irish are far from slouches. Through Nov. 1's games, Notre Dame was No. 160 in the NCAA's RPI, while Virginia Tech was No. 235.

The Fighting Irish have also shown flashes of competitiveness against conference opponents, taking Duke and Georgia Tech to five sets before falling in both matches.

Against Clemson, the Fighting Irish recorded a season-high 21 blocks in a five-set win. Middle blocker Portia Zeidler led the defensive effort with 12 blocks, while fellow middle blocker Anna Bjork added eight.

Offensively, senior outside hitter Sydney Helmers recorded a career-high 24 kills against the Tigers, marking her third match with at least 20 kills this season. Sophomore outside hitter Chichi Nnaji contributed 12 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while adding eight blocks.

Defensively, libero Maya Evens has emerged as one of Notre Dame's most consistent contributors. Evens enters this week’s slate leading the ACC with 310 digs and 4.43 digs per set; she recorded 20 digs and a career-high 11 assists against Clemson.

Although Notre Dame has struggled to string together victories, its recent performances suggest the Hokies cannot afford to overlook Friday's opponent. Virginia Tech will look to build on its recent improvement while preventing the Fighting Irish from establishing momentum at the net.

No. 3 Louisville

Unlike Notre Dame, Louisville, which enters the weekend fourth in the RPI, has national championship aspirations and an undefeated conference record.

The Cardinals have been among the nation's most efficient offensive teams this season, ranking third nationally with a .313 hitting percentage through Nov. 4. Louisville also ranks fifth nationally in kills per set (14.20) and sixth in blocks per set (2.92).

Louisville's offense is led by senior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, who has recorded 318 kills through 24 matches. Chicoine, who ranks sixth in the ACC in kills per set and eighth in points per set (4.46), has also maintained a .338 hitting percentage while contributing 206 digs.

The Cardinals have received additional production from sophomore Kalyssa Blackshear, who has totaled 258 kills and averages 3.27 per set. Fellow sophomore pin hitter Chloe Meester has added 219 kills and 24 service aces, providing Louisville with multiple offensive options.

Junior setter Nayelis Cabello has directed the Cardinals' attack, recording 778 assists and averaging 10.66 per set (No. 3 in ACC), while senior middle blocker Brooke Bultema has been a significant presence at the net, recording 99 blocks and averaging 1.34 per set (No. 8 in ACC).

Bultema also leads the Cardinals with a .389 hitting percentage, fifth in the conference, while junior libero Payton Petersen has contributed a team-high 333 digs, averaging 4.22 per set (No. 2 in ACC).

Louisville's success has extended well beyond conference competition. The Cardinals have recorded victories over nationally prominent programs, including Texas, Creighton and Stanford, with their only losses coming against Wisconsin and Kentucky.

Most recently, Louisville swept Georgia Tech on Sunday behind 21 kills from Blackshear and 15 from Chicoine. Both players hit .500 in the victory, while Cabello distributed 43 assists.

The Cardinals have also dominated their conference schedule, winning all 12 ACC matches entering the weekend. Their two victories over Notre Dame came in straight sets, with Louisville hitting .353 and .379 in those contests.

For Virginia Tech, Sunday's matchup represents one of its toughest remaining challenges. The Hokies will need to limit attacking errors and find ways around Louisville's formidable blocking unit to remain competitive.

Virginia Tech opens the weekend against Notre Dame Friday at 6 p.m. ET before hosting Louisville on Sunday at Cassell Coliseum at 1 p.m. ET. Both matches are available for viewing on ACC Network Extra.