Four Syracuse Players in Conference Top-10 Heading into ACC Matches
By: Annie Klaff
Syracuse closed the door to non-conference opponents yesterday and opens another one to ACC competitors in just two days. This past weekend was a big one for Syracuse, as they tallied on three more wins to their one loss record. So far for fall 2021, the Orange have only dropped 9 of the total 44 sets played. Four players for SU have played a major role in the successful season to date.
Two juniors and two seniors for Syracuse have shown standout performances this year in their matches, but also in the ACC leaderboard before the conference season has even begun. It is more than evident that with the return of Russian stars Marina Markova and Polina Shemanova this season, the team’s attacking and defensive efforts are enhanced. For individual goals though, both players appear on three different leaderboards. Markova leads the conference in kills with 200 total kills. Not to mention that she also leads the league with 227 points and is seventh in hitting percentages. Shemanova has some similar numbers and position holdings here as well. The senior is right behind Markova for kills with 188. Together, they’re the top two in the league for kills with Boston College lacking 19 kills behind them the Orange superstars. Shemanova is tied for first with Aiko Jones from Louisville in service aces with 22, and second in points with 220.5. It’s safe to say that this duo is rocking the league in many ways.
Junior Abby Casiano and Senior Elena Karakasi also hold superb positions in the top-10 ACC players for blocks and assists, respectively. Karakasi tops the conference in assists with 140 and Casiano is fifth in blocks with 48. Because of these four integral players’ stats and leadership, they’ve proved to be somewhat of a backbone for Syracuse this year. Not only do these stats help themselves out in terms of personal achievements, but Markova, Shemanova, Karakasi, Casiano, and the rest of the team have put Syracuse as a whole on the map as well.
The Orange hold striking positions in the ACC’s top-5 in almost every aspect of significant match play (ACC).
Boston College and Syracuse again as the top-two table runners on the attacking side (ACC).
(ACC).
Syracuse remaining in the top-two for all four of these leaderboards (ACC).
Between all of these leaderboards, there’s one thing that stands out. There are a handful of teams in the conference that continue to push through to the top-five on both attacking and defensive ends. Not just Syracuse. One of which is Boston College, the Orange’s first ACC opponent coming up on Wednesday. Based on these stats, it could be a close match, but Syracuse also has a few things going in their favor. The first is that the Eagles have lost 4 matches already and the second is that they’re on a losing streak of three. Lastly, the Orange have an incredibly strong, well-rounded, and older squad back together this season, and that includes Markova, Shemanova, Karakasi, Casiano, and more. Wednesday will demonstrate whether or not more challenging and leveled opponents will shift these tables positions for Syracuse. Tune in to our live coverage on Twitter with @CitrusTVSports, Wednesday at 8 p.m.
