Syracuse Finds Way to Win At Boston College
By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_
SYRACUSE, N.Y. | Syracuse volleyball (13-6, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam has repeatedly talked about how his team represents the identity of Central New York. He’s called the group “blue collar” and said that they don’t go down without a fight.
Perhaps no match this season better demonstrates that than Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Boston College (14-7, 3-6 ACC).
SU played far from its best match. At one point, the Orange trailed 25-24 in the fourth set, down 2-1 to an Eagles team that looked poised to pick up the win.
Ganesharatnam’s group refused to wave the white flag. SU rallied to defeat BC in set four and the momentum carried over into the fifth frame. The Orange took the final set for their fifth conference win of the season.
The first two frames were both lopsided. BC never trailed in the opener, which it took 25-19. SU responded by leading the entire way in set two en route to a 25-15 win.
The next two went beyond 25. Boston College came back from down 23-19 to take set three 27-25. Syracuse responded with a 30-28 win in set four and iced the match with a 15-12 victory in the closing frame.
In the face of adversity, SU relied on its top attacker. Outside hitter Gabby McLaughlin recorded 22 kills in her fourth 20-kill match of the season. Skylar George, McLaughlin’s counterpart, added 13 kills of her own and rebounded late from an inefficient start.
A bright spot for the SU offense was freshman Marie Laurio. The outside hitter recorded her first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs, both season-highs.
Syracuse improves to 5-1 against unranked conference opponents.
The Orange and Eagles play a rematch in Syracuse on Friday at 5 p.m.
For coverage of that match and the remainder of the Syracuse volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on Twitter/X.
