Syracuse Volleyball takes the last game of the 2024 season 3-1 against Virginia Tech
By Josh Solomon | @JoshSolo29
What a way to end the season! Syracuse Volleyball after only two wins up to today’s game in ACC play, the Orange ended the season with a 3-1 sets victory against Virginia Tech.
After a 3-2 sets victory for SU just over a month ago against VT, the Hokies were seeking revenge. That win for the Orange was their first conference victory in nearly two years. Tonight’s first set had the same scoreline but a different result. 25-21 Hokies was the first set result from October 27th. Today, the Orange won the first set 25-21.
The ‘Cuse were ahead 15-12 about halfway through and then carried that small margin lead to the finish. Right-side hitter Sara Wasiakowska finished the set with three kills. Outside hitter, Ava Palm delivered three kills as well. The graduate student finished the match with a double-double, 21 kills, and 13 digs.
The second set started just as the first one finished off, a close battle between Syracuse and Virginia Tech. However, SU was ahead 9-7 early in the second set, and that small lead was stretched out in the middle half against VT. At one point, the Orange went on an eight-point scoring run. Syracuse coming out of the second set with a 25-16 win and going ahead 2-0 in the match against Virginia Tech. It was the first time since October 12th that the Orange won the first two sets of a match. The last time Syracuse was ahead 2-0, California came back with a reverse sweep win. Can Virginia Tech do the same?
SU started off strong in the third set going up 5-2. But VT fought back eventually going ahead by just one point 14-13. The two teams battled back and forth with 10 tied scores in the set. That last tie came in the 20s before the Hokies closed things out with a 25-23 victory. Virginia Tech won its first set of the match but Syracuse was still ahead 2-1. VT’s right-side hitter Haily Pierce who leads the team in kills recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs in the final match of the 2024 season.
The fourth set saw all of Syracuse’s effort throughout the season summed up at once. The ‘Cuse started off hot with a 6-1 lead. But after a five point run of their own, the Hokies stormed their way back into the set. Even taking a 9-8 lead over the Orange. Virginia Tech continued that lead into the halfway point of the fourth set, VT scored three points in a row going into the media timeout 15-12.
After that point though, it was a battle of whichever team wanted it more. There were nine ties in the set. But eventually Syracuse pulled away and took the set 25-22 along with the match 3-1 over Virginia Tech.
Syracuse finished the 2024 season with a 15-17 record and went 3-17 in ACC play. It was SU’s best season since 2021.
