Syracuse Volleyball falls 3-1 to NC State

As snow begins to fall in Syracuse, Syracuse volleyball continues to watch its season snowball. The 3-1 loss at the hands of the Wolfpack marked the 7th straight as the Orange fell to 5-11 in conference play. 

It was another strong start for SU grabbing a 5-1 lead in the first due to early NC State miscues. That momentum was all the Orange needed, as the squad stayed in control and cruised to a 25-20 victory. Gabby McLaughlin led the charge, recording six kills, including the set winner.

Despite the promising start, things weren’t as easy for the Orange in the second set. The Wolfpack jumped out in front this time around, causing SU to scramble and play from behind. The second set proved to be the exact opposite of the first with NC State fending off Syracuse in a 25-20 victory.

Now, even both teams looked to grab control of the match in the third. Unlike the first two sets, the third had far more back and forth action as neither squad could build a strong lead. The Orange finally began to open things up via a 5-0 run headlined by a thunderous kill from Zharia Harris-Waddy, but the 18-12 lead for the Orange wouldn’t last long. NC State surged back, tying things up at 23. The Wolfpack completed the comeback with a 26-24 win that ended on a 14-6 run capped off by dual blocks from Talia Francom and Jordan Smith.

NC State completely flipped the momentum and rode the energy in the fourth set. The Wolfpack got off to another strong start and continued to dominate. Syracuse never looked to be in contention. NC State ended things with a 25-18 victory, capturing the match three sets to one. 

The Orange have now captured the first set and gone on to lose the next three in back to back games. Head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam spoke on the team’s inability to follow up strong starts as of late. 

“Obviously you work on having good starts to matches, but now I think it’s carrying that momentum, which can be tough.” Ganesharatnam said.

Following the loss, Syracuse honored seniors with a post game ceremony. Coach Ganesharatnam shared the profound impact that all eight seniors have had on the program as a whole.

“So much hard work, dedication, and sacrifices throughout all these years. It really showed today, at the end of the day we are very proud of our graduates and their accomplishments.” Coach said.

Things won’t get any easier for The Cuse as they get on the road to face two top ten opponents in third ranked Pitt and tenth ranked SMU. Junior Tehya Maeva believes the Orange still have something left to prove as they enter the final stretch of the season. 

“We want to come out with a fire, finish the season strong and bring all that we can. We have to keep playing for each other and keep finding ways to improve.” Maeva said.