By Lindsey Horsting
SYRACUSE N.Y. - After
a disappointing loss to Pittsburgh on Friday, the Syracuse Orange Volleyball Team (13-5, 4-2 ACC) won a hard-fought
battle against the Virginia Tech Hokies in five sets Sunday afternoon. This was the third time both teams have
had to go the full distance this season and Syracuse has won all of its
five set matches.
“I remember last two or three years ago, I don’t remember
winning that many five-set games,” senior setter Gosia Wlaszczuk said. “It’s heartbreaking…we knew how hard we worked
to get to this fifth set.”
First Three Sets
Virginia Tech was up 9-8 in the first set when SU freshman
outside hitter Mariia Levanova fell to the floor after landing a kill. She lay there for a few minutes while
team athletic trainer Addy Passaro assessed the situation. Syracuse head coach Leonid Yelin and Passaro
helped Levanova off the floor and she did not return to the game. It was confirmed later as a knee
injury but the Orange don’t know how bad it is, Yelin said.
“She will see doctor tomorrow and we will go from there,” he
said.
Wlaszczuk brought the
team together and Syracuse was able to maintain focus the rest of the set.
“If we want to do something, let’s win for her and do our
best to look good and fill her spot in and get this ‘W’,” Wlaszczuk said.
The Hokies were up 16-13 when Syracuse took a timeout, then went on a 12-4
run to win the set 25-20. Three of the four points for the Hokies were on
Syracuse service errors.
In the second and third games however, Virginia Tech led all the way. The Orange made a few comeback attempts but
Hokies held on to win 25-18 and 25-17.
Momentum Shift
Beginning the fourth set down 2-1, Wlaszczuk read the defense off a two-hit possession that sent
all Hokie players diving to the center of the court, resulting in a point for
the Orange. It was a point-for-point set
until the Orange broke away 19-17.
“Nico (redshirt senior outside hitter Nicolette Serratore)
started serving well in the right spot," Yelin said. "Really tough serve and we knock them out of
system.”
The Orange started blocking better on defense in the fourth game allowing for easier transition from defense to offense, Yelin said When making strong plays one after another
the opposing team loses confidence and that’s how Syracuse made a run, he said.
Virginia Tech took a timeout to slow Syracuse, but the
Orange closed the set 25-18 that tied the match 2-2.
Syracuse then rolled to a 15-7 win in the fifth set to take the match.
“I wanted to do everything in my power to not lose today and
I think that’s what everyone felt,” Serratore said. “We were kind of still mad about losing
Friday and we weren’t going to let it happen again.”
Orange Leaders
Wlaszczuk was four kills shy of a triple double and ended
the match with 42 assists, 13 digs and six kills.
Serratore had 16 kills and 10 digs, and Monika Salkute had
13 kills and six digs.
On the Agenda
The next game for the Orange is Boston College Wednesday,
October 14 at 5 p.m. The
next home game is against the University of Virginia Cavaliers Sunday, October
18 at 1 p.m. in the Women’s Building.
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