Syracuse’s First Weekend of Conference Play a Tale of Two Matches
By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_
Syracuse volleyball (9-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) split its first two matches of ACC play after a 3-17 conference record in 2024. A 3-1 win over Notre Dame (4-6, 1-1 ACC) on Friday was followed by a 3-0 loss to No. 6 Louisville (10-2, 2-0 ACC) on Sunday.
SU’s performances in both matches were markedly different.
The Orange withstood the size of the Fighting Irish, including 6-foot-5 outside hitter Morgan Gaerte and her 6-foot-4 counterpart Sydney Helmers. The pair combined for 31 kills (including a career-high 12 from Helmers), but SU weathered the storm.
It was an encouraging sign for a group challenged by size all season, harkening back to comments head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam made following a 3-2 win over St. John’s. “We’re undersized,” Ganesharatnam said. “We’re always going to be the underdog.”
That statement held true when Syracuse clashed with sixth-ranked Louisville down south. There was no underdog story to be told, though, as the Cardinals won the match in straight sets. SU remains without a set win over Louisville this decade.
SU’s offense showed promise, rattling off several scoring runs in the second and third sets. In the third frame, the Orange led 17-14 before a 6-0 Cardinals run put the set and the match out of reach.
The defense, on the other hand, looked entirely outmatched. Louisville recorded a .320 hitting percentage, the highest clip of any Syracuse opponent this season.
“[The ACC is] arguably the number one conference in the country,” Ganeshratnam said following the St. John’s win. Conference play thus far has proven to be tough, as Ganeshratnam anticipated.
The contrast in matches across both matches extended to individual performances, as well.
SU outside hitter Skylar George tallied a career-high 21 digs and added 15 kills against Notre Dame in her finest performance with the Orange. It was the redshirt sophomore’s first-career 20-dig outing.
Against Louisville, those numbers plummeted. George recorded just four digs and five kills in the straight-set defeat.
That was a common trend up and down the roster.
SU kills leader Gabby McLaughlin notched her eighth double-double of the season against Notre Dame with 13 kills and 17 digs. The outside hitter then recorded a season-low in both categories with eight kills and eight digs in the Louisville loss.
Setter Tehya Maeva racked up 38 assists against Notre Dame, her ninth 30-assist outing in her last 10 matches. Against Louisville, the junior was held to just 12 assists, a new season-low when appearing in multiple sets.
SU’s win over Notre Dame suggests the Orange can handle business against ACC competition. The defeat to Louisville is a potential warning for things to come.
Syracuse continues ACC action this weekend when it meets Virginia Tech (8-5, 0-2 ACC) on Friday at 6 p.m. and Virginia (7-5, 0-2 ACC) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
For continued coverage of the Syracuse volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on Twitter/X.
