Syracuse Volleyball Earns Milestone Win Over Duke

By Ryan Croke | @ryancroke_

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Last week, I spoke to Syracuse volleyball (12-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) setter Tehya Maeva and she told me it was a rebuilding year for the team.

Well, the rebuild is going pretty well. 

The Orange picked up a 3-0 sweep over Duke for their fourth conference win of the season just seven matches into ACC play. For context, SU had won just three conference matches over the previous two seasons.

“We’ve been in this process for the last three and a half years,” Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “We’ve had a lot of ups, certainly some low points as well, but I think we always make sure we learn from those experiences in order for us to improve as a program.”

“Today, we’re at a stage where we are competitive in this conference,” Ganesharatnam continued. “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.”

Speaking of Tehya Maeva, it was a milestone night for the setter, who picked up her 2,000th career assist in the win.

“[It] means so much but I think it’s a huge shoutout to my team, my teammates,” Maeva said. “I couldn’t do it without my passers setting me up for success and then my hitters finding ways to score.”

“This was, I think, the best performance she [has] had in a Syracuse uniform,” Ganesharatnam said.

Syracuse’s conference slate gets a little bit tougher when No. 21 North Carolina (13-2, 6-0 ACC) comes to town. The Tar Heels have yet to lose an ACC match this season. SU and UNC square off on Sunday at 2 p.m.

For coverage of that match and the rest of the Syracuse volleyball season, follow @ryancroke_ and @CitrusTVSports on Twitter/X.