Syracuse Guts Out Reverse Sweep of Cornell to Remain Undefeated
By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_
ALBANY, N.Y. – Syracuse Volleyball (6-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) entered Saturday’s clash with Cornell (0-2, 0-0 Ivy League) having never trailed at any point this season. That streak did not survive Saturday morning’s match, but SU found a way to come back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit.
The Orange quickly dropped the first two sets thanks to a dominant early showing from the Big Red’s physically imposing frontcourt. Led by 6’2” middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons, 6’2” outside hitter Eliza Konvicka, and 6’5” middle blocker Ava Bogan, Cornell used its size to stifle the Orange attack while it dominated the net offensively.
The Orange dropped the opening frame 25-18, struggling to find any answer to the Big Red attack. The second set was a backbreaking one for SU, which led 24-22 before Cornell swept the rug out from under the ’Cuse with a 5-1 run. The Big Red took the set 27-25.
Down 0-2, SU needed an answer, and they found it. Cornell’s dominant frontcourt was suddenly struggling to stop an Orange attack that had found its stride. A 3-0 run gave SU a 14-11 lead midway through the third frame, and it rapidly pulled away—closing the set on a 14-4 run for a 25-15 win.
The fourth set was more of the same. Once the Orange took a 14-12 lead, they never looked back and took the set 25-17.
After a dominant performance to start the match, Cornell had all but vanished. That held true in the match-deciding fifth frame. SU went up 9-4 and did not let go of the lead. The Big Red rallied late, but could not get within striking distance. The Orange captured a 15-11 victory in set five to win the match 3-2.
The Orange improved to 6-0 on the season and picked up a ninth consecutive victory over the Big Red. SU earned its first reverse sweep since Nov. 10, 2024, when it rallied back to defeat ACC rival Notre Dame.
Syracuse has a pair of matches with Colgate next weekend. The Orange travel to Hamilton for a match on Friday at 7 p.m. and face the Raiders again at 6 p.m. the next day.
For coverage of those contests, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on X/Twitter.
