Syracuse Volleyball Drops Another ACC Battle in Sweep Against Wake Forest
By Zac Ventola | @ZacVentola
Winston-Salem, NC – Syracuse volleyball (5-10, 0-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) is back to being swept. SU fell in straight sets Sunday afternoon to Wake Forest (8-9, 2-4 ACC). After a few competitive conference clashes, the Orange struggled against the Demon Deacons.
Historically, Syracuse has found success against Wake Forest. SU entered the afternoon 11-4 all-time against Wake. However, the Orange had also lost the squads’ previous three battles.
The first set of Sunday afternoon was a blowout. The Demon Deacons led by nine points by the media timeout and built on that momentum throughout the remainder of the set. Wake Forest took the set win, 25-12, thanks in-part to outside hitter Lyla Stewart’s six kills. The freshman finished the afternoon with 16 on an efficient .355 hitting percentage.
The start of the second set originally appeared to be a tide-turner for Syracuse. The Orange cut the Demon Deacons’ lead to just one point soon-after the media timeout, thanks in-part to a handful of kills from SU outside hitter Kiernan Stamey.
However, just over midway through the set, the momentum shifted. Wake Forest called timeout while up 17-16, then scored eight consecutive points to clinch the set win, 25-16.
The third set played out similarly. Syracuse played Wake Forest tight throughout the first half, but Wake Forest eventually pulled away. While up by a point, the Demon Deacons scored four in a row to extend their lead. They never looked back after that. Wake Forest clinched the sweep after a 25-20 win in the third set.
The Orange struggled in all areas on Sunday afternoon. SU was out-blocked by Wake Forest 8-4. Syracuse also tallied just 30 kills, compared to Wake Forest’s 46. The ‘Cuse also didn’t have a single player tally double-digit kills. Stamey led SU with nine, followed by Marie Laurio (8) and Abby Nicholson (5).
Syracuse still awaits its first win of conference play. SU can next do so on Friday at 7:00 p.m. against Georgia Tech (11-5, 3-2 ACC).
For coverage of the Orange vs. Yellow Jackets and the remainder of Syracuse volleyball’s season, follow @ZacVentola and @CitrusTVSports on X.
