Syracuse volleyball squash Miami in ACC grudge match
Syracuse volleyball take Miami in important ACC Match
Syracuse women’s Volleyball fought until the last point during Friday night’s matchup against Miami in the Women’s Building. The match was highly anticipated as both teams were 5-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Syracuse (10-5, 6-1 ACC) put an end to Miami’s (9-5, 5-2 ACC) three-match winning streak.
Freshman outside hitter, Polina Shemanova, was unstoppable at the net, leading the game with 25 kills. Senior Santita Ebangwese finished with 15 kills and led the team with 7 blocks. Ebangwese ranks top 20 nationally with a .396 hitting percentage.
Miami had the opportunity to take control of the game after they won the first set 26-24. The Hurricanes started the set with a kill by Elizaveta Lukianova. Cuse answered with a strong block by Shemanova and Amber Witherspoon.
Miami couldn’t keep the energy up in the second set. Syracuse kept the lead throughout the entire frame for a 25-20 win. The Orange started out dominating the first five points to go up 5-0. Miami attempted to make a comeback with four-straight points before a service error gave Syracuse a 14-10 lead. Later in the set, with the score at 23-20, Jalissa Trotter set up Shemanova, who perfectly executed a left outside spike. The Orange wasn’t done after that. Trotter set up Ella Saada to finish the set with a powerful kill from the right side.
The teams went back and forth but the Orange’s solid defense could not be split. It seemed like all Syracuse was doing was perfectly executing the bump, set, kill. The Orange finished the set with a .486 hitting percentage. Miami couldn’t keep up, the final score of the set was 25-15.
The Orange went into the fourth set with a 2-1 lead. It was survival of the fittest between these two powerful teams. The set began with Ebangwese setting Shemanova up for a kill. On the next play, Aliah Bowllan served an ace. The last plays of the game were intense. Miami wouldn’t allow Cuse to take the lead too much without an answer. Miami went on a 5-0 run and two of Syracuse’s attack errors kept the Hurricanes in the game.
Ultimately, Ebangwese finished with back-to-back kills securing the decisive set for the Orange with Shemanova on a strong block against Haley Templeton.
Syracuse host Florida State on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. in the Women’s Building.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse.
