Volleyball

Syracuse Volleyball team can’t keep up with SMU, loses in straight sets

Syracuse volleyball falls to SMU in straight sets

After beginning the season 12-0, the Orange have lost all three of their matches since the start of conference play.

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Tara Dao
The Orange’s only win against a Power-Five team was against Iowa State during the Syracuse Invitational.

The Syracuse Volleyball team (12-3, ACC) lost their third straight conference game to the #17 SMU Mustangs. SMU won in straight sets 3-0. After failing to break 20 points in the first set, Syracuse almost forced an extra set, losing 25-22 in the third and final set.

Syracuse had four rotation errors in the early going of set one. Head Coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam took responsibility for the error, saying he “flip-flopped” the numbers. 

Syracuse ran a 6-2 system on Friday night, with sophomore Sydnie Waller joining graduate student Ava Palm and redshirt freshman Skyler George. The goal was for the Orange to take some pressure off George and Palm. 

Instead, SMU opened set one on a 12-4 run. Ganesharatnam said that graduate student Sydney Moore saw less playing time due to the system change. The Mustangs went on to win set one 25-15.

SMU started set two on a 3-0 run before a huge kill by sophomore Zhaira Harris-Waddy helped Syracuse settle. George and Palm picked up multiple kills in the second set.

Sophomore Mira Ledermueller provided a spark late after replacing the injured Schuster.

The Mustangs were able to run the offense over junior Annie Nikolnikova, who did not record a solo block until late in the second set and had zero kills on the night. 

Nikolnikova is a very talented middle, but this is her first season playing NCAA volleyball after transferring from Southern Idaho. Her strong performance against non-conference opponents this season suggests that she will figure it out as the season progresses.

Graduate transfer Sara Wasiakowska shined in set two.

Ganesharatnam said Wasiakowska saw increased playing time due to SMU having tall players at the middle position.

“Sara does a good job attacking at a high point and blocking at a high point, which I thought would be beneficial,” Ganesharatnam said.

The adjustments proved to be too little too late, as SMU took the set 25-17.

Graduate transfer Elizabeth Schuster left the match in set two. Ganesharatnam mentioned Schuster tore her ACL at the beginning of the season.

“She’s playing without an ACL currently. And that’s a decision we all made together, and she wanted to give it a try, but you know the way it looked didn’t look very promising,” said Ganesharatnam. 

So how can a team that lost a key player to injury for the second time remain optimistic? Graduate student Nikki Shimao, a team captain who previously played for Ganesharatnam at Temple University, is returning from an injury. 

Shimao doesn’t want to use that as an excuse and believes that the Orange can beat a ranked opponent.

“I think we showed it in that third set, and I think we’re going to continue to show it, and we’re going to beat a ranked opponent,” Shimao said.

Moore played a pivotal role in a tightly contested set three, finishing with two kills and two block assists. The former Cornell middleback had 100 blocks in the Ivy League last season. Her presence on the court forced the Mustangs to attack the back row in the third set. 

SMU led Syracuse 16-8 in set three before the Orange went on an 8-1 run to tie it at 20 apiece. Moore, Palm, Shimao, and Wasiakowska played a key role in the comeback effort. The future of the team shined as George, Harris-Waddy, Ledermueller, Sierzant, and Waller took over against a ranked team.

The Mustangs held on to win set three 25-22, but George picked up a huge kill right before the match point. 

With upcoming matchups against No. 1 Pittsburgh at home on Sunday and No. 5 Stanford on the road next Friday, things may get worse before they get better. That doesn’t mean the season is over; after all, Shimao said Syracuse will beat a ranked opponent this season, and George is just one member of a talented roster that could make it happen.