Syracuse volleyball goes winless in California, and have lost six games in a row
By Josh Solomon | @JoshSolo29
It’s been a rough few weeks to begin ACC play for Syracuse Volleyball. After finishing with a 12-0 record in non-conference play, the Orange seemed to be on track for fierce competition against conference opponents. But most recently, the ‘Cuse has been facing some of the toughest opponents in the country. SU took on three ranked opponents in a row including 17th-ranked SMU and top-ranked Pitt last weekend. This past weekend, SU took a trip across the US taking on two new additions to the ACC. The first of those was 5th-ranked Stanford.
Going into the match, Syracuse had lost its two previous ranked matches in straight sets. Unfortunately for the Orange in this game, things looked quite similar. Some credit goes to SU, as the squad started off keeping the scoreline close. Cuse right-side hitter Sydnie Waller’s three kills in the first set helped the squad late as her third kill narrowed the lead to 17-14. Stanford and Syracuse traded points but the lead just stood until the end of the set with a 25-22 win for the Cardinal. Past that point, it was all downhill for the Orange. Stanford took the second and third sets comfortably. Syracuse’s combined point total from both sets was 21. After this loss, SU was still looking for its first ACC victory and a set win, something the squad hadn’t achieved in the last three weeks.
Luckily for the Orange, Saturday’s match against California was a chance for redemption and a strong ending to the weekend off. However, this match couldn’t have ended more disastrously than what occurred. First, Syracuse started on fire. SU took a close first set 25-21 and then was dominant in the second 25-16. Once again Orange sophomore Sydnie Waller was a difference-maker on the court. Waller finished the match with 16 kills, two digs, and four blocks. In addition, Syracuse outside hitter Ava Palm also finished with 16 kills alongside 10 digs. With a chance to close out the match in straight sets, it would not only be the first ACC win for the ‘Cuse but also the teams’ first time winning a set (let alone three) in almost a month. However, a dream for Syracuse slowly turned into reality for California. The Bears powered through a tight third and fourth set. Cal practically seemed to be winning every clutch and crucial point to turn around a reverse sets win. Both sets three and four ended in a 25-23 win going California’s way. Cal’s outside hitter Maggie Li looked practically unstoppable recording 17 kills, 12 digs, and three blocks. Now, after a chance to win in straight sets, SU was starting down its second of the season reaching a fifth set. The last time Syracuse went to a fifth set was on September 21st against Iowa State. That match was capped off with the Orange scoring six of the final eight points and winning the set 15-10. The ‘Cuse started strong scoring the first three points to begin the fifth set. But it was clear Cal had all the momentum, after being down in sets 2-0 the Bears clawed its way to a 7-6 lead. But SU didn’t back down and eventually were just one point with a two-point lead,14-12. The actions that followed were catastrophic for the Orange. The Bears scored four points in a row. First tying the scoring at 14, forcing a win by two points scenario. Then, taking the next two straight points and winning the fifth set. After being a set away from its first ACC victory happening in straight sets, Syracuse was reverse swept in a 3-2 loss against California.
With this devastating loss, it’s tough to imagine how SU can recover. The ‘Cuse are still winless in the conference and have dropped six games in a row. Overall Syracuse is still 12-6 tough. Can the team ever win an ACC game? It’s hard to believe as the road continues to be tough in this dominant conference. Next weekend, the Orange return home for matches against two Florida conference opponents. Syracuse takes on Miami on Friday and 21st-ranked Florida State on Sunday.
