Syracuse Volleyball Enters Conference Play on a Positive Note
With ACC play just around the corner, Syracuse volleyball (8-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) needed to end its non-conference slate on a positive note.
SU did just that, picking up a pair of wins over Siena (4-8, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and St. John’s (4-9, 0-0 Big East Conference). The Orange swept the Saints on Friday and rallied from down 2-1 to defeat the Red Storm on Saturday. SU displayed plenty of fight, especially in the St. John’s match.
“We’re undersized,” Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said after Saturday’s win. “We’re always going to be the underdog. We have to work for what we’re getting. We’ve got to fight.
Outside hitter Gabby McLaughlin continued her stellar start to the season, recording 33 kills and 22 digs across the two matches. The SU captain posted a season-high 19 kills in the win over St. John’s.
“I think all of us really wanted it,” McLaughlin said of the victory over the Red Storm. “I don’t think there was a doubt in anyone’s mind that we were going to [win] that match.”
A trio of returners from last year’s squad put up big numbers as well. Setter Veronica Sierzant had her first double-digit kill performance of the season against Siena. Middle blocker Zharia Harris-Waddy and Outside hitter Skylar George combined for 19 kills in the St. John’s match and were crucial in sparking SU’s comeback.
“We all need to be fearless,” George said after the win.
SU turns its attention to ACC play, which begins this weekend. The Orange struggled mightily in conference games last year, finishing 16th in the ACC with a 3-17 conference record.
“We know ACC play is going to be tough,” Ganesharatnam said after the St. John’s win. “It’s arguably the number one conference in the country.”
Ganesharatnam says his group has the benefit of being tested throughout its non-conference slate.
“I think we had some tough matches,” Ganesharatnam added. “Cornell is a really good team. Colgate is a really good team. Even though we lost both matches [to Colgate] we did some really good things in those matches.”
In Ganesharatnam’s mind, the team still has plenty of room to grow. The fourth-year Syracuse head man believes his team will find a way to compete in a loaded ACC.
“We are still in the phase of progressing,” Ganesharatnam said. “It is not a finished product by any means. ACC [play] is 20 matches long. We want to improve within those 20 matches as well. We’re hopeful [and] we’re optimistic that we’re going to be able to succeed in the ACC.”
SU’s conference slate begins in South Bend, Ind., with a match against Notre Dame at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
For live updates on that match and continued coverage of the Syracuse volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on X/Twitter.
