Syracuse Volleyball Is Turning the Corner
By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_
SYRACUSE, N.Y. | When it comes to rebuilding in sports, there comes a point where a team “turns the corner.” Syracuse volleyball (12-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is doing just that.
A 3-0 win over Duke (5-14, 2-6 ACC) on Friday gave the Orange their fourth conference victory of the season through seven matches. SU had won three of 38 ACC matches over the previous two seasons.
No. 21 North Carolina (15-2, 8-0 ACC) defeated Syracuse 3-1 on Sunday, but the Orange left the match with much to be proud about: The set win in the second frame was the first against a ranked opponent in Ganesharatnam’s tenure.
Both of those milestones signify a turning point in the Syracuse rebuild. When I pointed them out to Ganesharatnam in his postgame press conferences this weekend, he playfully chided me as I noted his lack of success in past seasons. However, he understands that the gears are starting to turn.
“Today, we’re at a stage where we are competitive in this conference,” Ganesharatnam said after the win over Duke. “We would have not thought that maybe a couple of years ago. It’s a testament to, first and foremost, to the players, to my assistants, and to the support staff and to the administration…believing in us and letting us keep building this program.”
The ranked set win is the more notable of the two achievements, despite the 3-1 loss.
“I really don’t think we’re that far away,” Ganesharatnam said of earning his first ranked win after the loss to North Carolina. “If we can win one set, we can win three, for sure.”
An SU player reached a significant milestone over the weekend, as well. Setter Tehya Maeva passed 2000 career assists in the match against Duke.
“I couldn’t do it without my passers setting me up for success and then my hitters finding ways to score,” Maeva said of the achievement.
The junior racked up 32 assists in the win over the Blue Devils and was the only SU player with a kill, assist, service ace, block, and a dig. Ganesharatnam thought it was Maeva’s best performance in a Syracuse uniform.
Syracuse’s attack continues to run through outside hitter Gabby McLaughlin and Skylar George. The duo combined for 47 kills across seven sets this weekend.
Against North Carolina, Syracuse middle blocker Soana Lea’ea emerged as a force at the net, racking up three solo blocks. No SU player had recorded more than two in a match all season.
Ganesharatnam’s success in the transfer portal has been key to this season’s turnaround. All but one of the aforementioned players (Skylar George) were not on the Syracuse roster a season ago.
Syracuse has 12 ACC matches remaining on its schedule. SU only needs four wins in that span for it to be Ganesharatnam’s most successful season yet. This weekend, the Orange showed they are more than capable of reaching that mark.
Syracuse has a brief turnaround before a road match against Boston College (14-6, 3-5 ACC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. SU and BC return to Central New York for a second clash on Friday at 5 p.m.
For coverage of those matches and the remaining Syracuse volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on Twitter/X.
