Syracuse Volleyball Dismantles Canisius for Fifth Straight Win
By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_
ALBANY, N.Y. – Entering Friday’s contest between Syracuse volleyball (5-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) and Canisius (1-3, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), the Orange were looking to preserve two winning streaks: their unbeaten start to the 2025 season and their perfect 14-0 record against the Golden Griffins.
Neither streak was in jeopardy at any point Friday afternoon. SU swept its in-state rival for its fourth sweep in five games to start the year.
The opening two sets were relatively well-contested; Syracuse took the first 25-22 and the second 25-21. However, set three was where it all went off the rails for Canisius.
The Orange earned the first six points of the frame and never looked back. SU’s largest lead of the set came when a kill by outside Hitter Skylar George made it 17-2. The ’Cuse recorded an absurd .457 hitting percentage in the match-sealing frame, which they won 25-7.
The seven points earned by the Griffs are the fewest the Orange have allowed in a set this season. SU’s frontcourt turned up the heat, with five blocks in the final set. Junior Sydnie Waller was involved in three of those blocks.
It was a quiet afternoon for outside hitter Gabriella McLaughlin, whose season-opening double-double streak came to an end in SU’s fifth match of the year. The senior recorded eight kills and nine digs, both good for second on the team.
McLaughlin’s counterpart, Skylar George, also put on another impressive performance, tying her season-high with 12 kills—a mark she set the previous day against UAlbany.
The win was largely a team effort, as five players recorded 6.5 points or more—the most for the Orange this year. Waller’s 10.5 points mark a new season-high. George’s 14-point day was her most productive of the year thus far.
SU concludes its UAlbany Invitational slate against Cornell (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League) at 11 a.m. tomorrow. The Orange have bested the Big Red in eight straight meetings.
For live updates on that matchup, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on X/Twitter.
