Syracuse Tested But Remains Unbeaten After UAlbany Invitational
By Ryan Croke|@ryancroke_
Syracuse Volleyball (6-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) entered this past weekend with a 3-0 record after sweeping the Salt City Classic. SU faced another trio of matches against in-state opponents in the UAlbany Invitational, and swept the slate, but the path there was certainly challenging.
On Thursday, Syracuse met UAlbany (4-2, 0-0 America East Conference) and took down the hosts in straight sets. However, it was far from an easy match for the Orange.
The Great Danes looked severely outclassed in the first two sets, but gave the ’Cuse fits in the third and final frame. UAlbany led 21-18 and looked poised to extend the match, but SU rallied to take a 24-22 lead. The Great Danes would not quit and three unanswered points made it 25-24. Syracuse was pushed to the brink, but responded with a 3-0 run of its own to win the set 27-25 and claim its third sweep in four matches.
The match-sealing third frame was the closest SU had played all season. It was not the only time SU would be pushed to its limits this past weekend.
On Friday afternoon, Syracuse squared off with Canisius (1-5, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) in SU’s least challenging contest of the UAlbany Invitational.
The Orange swept the Golden Griffins, taking the first two sets 25-22 and then 25-21 before a 25-7 demolition in set three. The 18-point margin of victory in the third frame over Canisius remains the largest for SU in a set this season.
Syracuse’s weekend ended Saturday morning with a bout with Cornell (1-2, 0-0 Ivy League), and the Orange faced a mountain of adversity to overcome. The Big Red took set one in dominant fashion, beating the Orange 25-18. Cornell never trailed at any point in the frame. It marked the first time this year SU trailed in a match.
Set two followed a similar script to set three of the UAlbany match, but this time SU was on the losing end. Cornell rallied from down 24-22 to win 27-25 and take a commanding two set lead.
The Orange faced a daunting 2-0 deficit and would need to operate at a much higher level in order to win. SU answered the call.
A 3-0 Orange run midway through the third set made it 14-11 SU and forced a Cornell timeout. The ’Cuse led the rest of the way to take set three 25-15 and extend the match.
Set four was an even more dominant showing. The Big Red’s only lead at any point in the frame came when a kill by outside hitter Eliza Konvicka made it 2-1 Cornell. SU was firing on all cylinders to win the fourth set 25-17 and force a winner-take-all fifth frame.
Cornell stood little chance at that point. SU had all the momentum and was in no mood to give it up. The Orange took a 4-3 lead early in set five and led the rest of the way, winning 15-11 to take the match 3-2.
Outside hitters Gabby McLaughlin and Skylar George put on a stellar showing throughout the weekend. McLaughlin’s four-game double-double streak was ended in the Canisius sweep, but she racked up 38 total kills and 31 total digs over the weekend. George hit double-digit kills in all three matches, setting a new season-high of 18 against Cornell. The redshirt sophomore notched her first double-double of the year against UAlbany with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Setter Tehya Maeva was also pivotal for the SU attack. The co-captain (along with McLaughlin) recorded 94 assists through the three matches, extending her 25-plus assist streak to five matches. Maeva added 10 digs against Cornell to go along with 27 assists for her second double-double of the year.
McLauglin was named UAlbany Invitational Tournament MVP, while George and Maeva were both All-Tournament Team selections.
Syracuse gears up for back-to-back matchups with Colgate this weekend; first on the road at 7 p.m on Friday then at home in the Women’s Building at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
For coverage on those matches, and for the remainder of the SU volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on X/Twitter.
