Syracuse Volleyball Closes Out a Series of Non-Conference Matchups with a Huge Win
By Annie Klaff
CitrusTV Volleyball Reporter
Out of 12 total matches this season so far for SU Volleyball, the Orange have snatched 11 wins. All of these matches were against non-conference opponents, feeding SU with some great court-time practice before ACC team challenges start next week. Earlier today, Syracuse closed out their last weekend before conference opponents with a win over South Alabama. This was the fourth straight win for ‘Cuse. South Alabama was able to grab one set win in the second, but the rest had Syracuse written all over them.
The Orange’s performance led them to break a season-high for four-set matches with 64 kills. Additionally for SU’s record book, today ties their third highest hitting percentage for a four-set match with just under 40%. It wasn’t just Syracuse that was hitting or breaking numbers. Sophomore Naomi Franco had an exceptional day. The right side hitter held a career high percentage of 52.4% for hitting. The absolute play-maker, Elena Karakasi made two career records. As a setter, she’s known for racking it up on assists, but today she racked it up even further. Karakasi had 48 total assists today and also broke her personal record for kills with 4. Karakasi was also named to the Hail State Invitational all-tournament team. Head Coach Leonid Yelin mentioned Karakasi today saying, “I am happy Elena was recognized.” According to Leonid, team setters’ match performances fail to be noticed frequently. Karakasi is certainly a play-maker who deserves to be recognized.
Of course, one cannot forget about senior Polina Shemanova. She continues to amaze viewers with her total 45 kills, seven aces, and seven blocks over the span of the weekend. Due to these stats, she was also named the tournament MVP. Time will tell if these numbers and victories for SU don’t end here, heading into next week. Syracuse takes on Boston College on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
@annieklaff | aklaff@citrustv.net
