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Syracuse entered its fifth set with Virginia carrying all the momentum. The Orange were on the verge of winning their first Atlantic Coast Conference game since Nov. 6, 2022. They’d just defeated the Cavaliers 25-21 in the fourth set to force a fifth and final set.

Following a kill from Virginia’s Brooklyn Borum, the Cavaliers led 14-12, putting them at match point. Though an attack error from Lauryn Bowie gave the Orange another shot.

Ava Palm stepped to the line to serve with the game on the line. She tossed the ball, drew back her hand and launched the ball right into the net. Palm’s service error gave Virginia the point it needed to win the set 15-13 and secure the match.

Palm’s error was the nail in the coffin for Syracuse (12-9, 0-9 ACC). The Orange fell in five sets to Virginia (16-4, 6-3 ACC) for their ninth straight loss. Despite the defeat, it was only the third time SU has pushed a game to five sets this season.

“Obviously, this is not the result that we want, right?” Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “But … I’m really proud of the way we performed and the way we fought.”

The start of the first set was tense, with the lead shifting back and forth. The Orange trailed 6-3, but a kill by Sydney Moore sent them on a 5-0 scoring run.

Greta Schlichter recorded back-to-back aces to put the Orange in front. From there, they never fell behind Virginia in the set. But the Cavaliers didn’t go down quietly, tying the set five times before Syracuse broke away.

Veronica Sierzant set the ball for Nikolnikova to score the set point and her third kill of the match, pushing the score to 24-19. Then, a strong block by Moore forced an attack error on Virginia, earning the Orange their first set win at 25-19.

It also marked Syracuse’s first time winning a set at home in ACC play.

“Honestly I wasn’t really surprised,” SU’s Nikki Shimao said. “I think we practiced really hard this past week leading up to this (match).”

SU kept up with Virginia in the beginning of the second set, tying up the score three times before UVA took a 7-4 lead. Virginia continued to push past SU, though. A 5-0 run helped extend its lead to 18-9 and take full control. Virginia outside hitter Lauryn Bowie’s kill helped secure a 25-19 set win.

The third set was filled with challenges for SU, literally and figuratively. After a kill by Virginia middle blocker Kate Dean, Ganesharatnam challenged the call, arguing that Dean hit the ball out. The challenge was unsuccessful and Virginia kept the points, keeping the score at 10-7.

Later in the set, Ganesharatnam challenged a call on an attack by Palm. The challenge was successful for the Orange, changing the score from 22-16 to 21-17.

Though Syracuse couldn’t mount a comeback. Virginia led 24-22 before Ashley Le’s kill gave the Cavaliers their second-set win.

While the lead went back and forth in the beginning of the fourth set, SU managed to put a stop to the momentum Virginia gained from the previous two sets with a kill by Skylar George. At that point, the Orange led 9-8.

Syracuse maintained the lead for the rest of the set. Virginia kept it close, never falling more than six points behind Syracuse, but Palm’s 18th kill of the match won the Orange their second set to tie the match.

At the beginning of the fifth set, SU looked strong. The Orange scored the first three points, a run that was immediately followed by a Virginia timeout.

Upon their return, the Cavaliers went on a 7-0 scoring run. SU answered with three points of its own. From there, Virginia maintained the lead, but Syracuse did not fall far behind.

A kill by Borum had the Cavaliers at match point. The play was followed by a Virginia attack error, making the score 14-13 in favor of Virginia. Then came Palm’s error, which sealed Syracuse’s fate.

Despite the error in the fifth set, Palm played her strongest game of the season. Palm led Syracuse with a season-high 20 kills.

While the match came down to the very end, Virginia outmatched Syracuse in key statistical categories. UVA tallied 69 kills while SU had 53. The Cavaliers recorded a higher hitting percentage (0.205), dished more assists (67) and totaled more digs (85) than the Orange.

Despite that, Syracuse nearly pulled off its first ACC win of the season. The Orange were a couple points away but didn’t make enough plays down the stretch to come away with the victory.

“I feel like (it’s) kind of heartbreaking because we were right there, but I think it’s gonna give us extra motivation,” Sierzant said.

Published on October 24, 2024 at 1:21 am

Contact Vivian: vpcollins06@gmail.com