Volleyball unfazed by Virginia Tech

By Zachary Levine

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse volleyball took down Virginia Tech in straight sets in the first of a two-game weekend home stand.

The Orange entered the contest at 16-8, having won eight out of its 11 ACC matches. Friday’s contest marked Syracuse’s first time home since October 8th.

The Orange dominated all match, and didn’t trail at any point in the third set. The final line read 25-19, 25-13, 25-18. The SU attack was balanced, with three different players tallying 10 or more kills on the night.

Anastasiya Gorelina led in kills, with 14, for SU. Jalissa Trotter raked in a match-high 34 assists.

Despite the success, head coach Leonid Yelin pointed out that his squad still needs to work on blocking.

“First of all, I don’t think we are blocking well,” Yelin said, “and if we are ranking high in ACC, it doesn’t make me too happy. Two years ago, we were the number one blocking team in the nation. That’s a pretty good goal.”

The struggling Hokies entered tonight’s contest with only two ACC wins. They exited the building with a .097 hitting percentage, compared to SU’s dominant .388.

The hitting percentage leader for the Orange tonight, Santita Ebangwase, tallied a whopping .600.

“This time of the season almost feels like playoffs. You win and move on,” said Yelin. “Our focus is on Virginia now.”

The Orange are currently ranked fourth in the ACC, as they enter their final month of play. Last place Virginia comes to town for a matchup on Sunday, before SU heads out on the road for the first half of their November schedule.