Syracuse Volleyball Goes Undefeated in Non-Conference Play
By Josh Solomon | @JoshSolo29
An undefeated start to the season is something no one expected for Syracuse Volleyball in the 2024 season. However, the team has achieved that goal for the entire nonconference schedule. SU has swept its way through four tournaments to begin the season with its own invitational being the toughest.
This past weekend, Syracuse welcomed schools to the Women’s Building for the Syracuse Invitational. The Orange had three games scheduled for four days over the weekend to head into ACC play on a roll.
First up was a team from right down the street, Le Moyne. The Dolphins were on the flip side of the Orange’s success, only winning one out of six games to start the season. The contest on Thursday night was one of the quickest this season. SU completed another 3-0 straight sets win in just an hour and 15 minutes. That straight-sets victory was its seventh of the season, and overall the team’s tenth win. This being the first game of the tournament, with two left to go allowed Syracuse to use its entire bench and keep players fresh for the upcoming matches, which was the right move.
On Saturday, SU competed in its most thrilling match of the season against Iowa State. The Orange started off the contest with back-to-back points in the win by two scenarios to take set one 26-24. Iowa State then bounced back, scoring 11 of the final 14 points of the second set and taking it 25-18. Syracuse wasn’t thrown off by this run though, the Orange took a two sets to one lead. After that set, it was clear Syracuse wasn’t used to a match that close. The ‘Cuse performed a slower pace in the fourth set with a few errors leading to Iowa State dominating the set with another 25-18 win, and the teams were even at two. Set five only took 15 points to find a winner and Syracuse was hungry for another victory. The Orange scored four of the final six points to take the set and the match three sets to two. In the final set, SU junior Anastasiia Nikolnikova and graduate student Ava Palm each recorded four kills. Both players combined for 29 kills in the contest.
Syracuse capped off the weekend the following day with a game against a fellow CNY foe, Cornell. The question was could the ‘Cuse push through its fatigue? In the first set, the answer was yes. SU jumped out in front early with a 25-19 win. But Cornell wasn’t going down without a fight. Even with an Orange push at the end of the second set, the Big Red evened up the sets at one with a 25-21 second set win. A change in defensive scheme by head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam helped the ‘Cuse with tipping, a struggle for SU in the second set. Along with 27 errors by Cornell, Syracuse took over with a 25-19 set three victory and a nailbiting 29-27 win in the fourth and final set. Outside hitter Ava Palm finished with 16 kills, two service aces, and nine digs. Middle blocker Anastasiia Nikolnikova and outside hitter Klara Zarnovicka combined for 20 kills.
Syracuse went 3-0 in its fourth and final tournament of nonconference play. Ava Palm was awarded tournament MVP alongside Anastasiia Nikolnikova and Sydney Moore who also earned All-Tournament honors. For the first time since 2010, SU went undefeated in nonconference play with 12 wins on the season. Next weekend the ‘Cuse begin ACC play with a trip down to North Carolina. Syracuse takes on North Carolina on Friday and Duke on Sunday.
