Singles struggles drop Syracuse to worst ACC start since 2022
After losing just eight singles matches in its seven nonconference matchups, Syracuse has already dropped 19 through six conference matches. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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At the beginning of the season, Syracuse head coach Younes Limam said its nonconference schedule was meant to build momentum toward Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Orange totaled 34 singles victories in the seven-game stretch, the fourth season in a row they’ve tallied over 30 singles wins in nonconference play.
But SU’s singles success has faded in ACC play.
Through six conference games, Syracuse (8-5, 1-5 ACC) has lost 19 singles matches, 11 more than its eight nonconference defeats. SU’s 34.5% win rate is a 70.6% decline from its nonconference singles record (34-8), not including its seven unfinished matches. For Syracuse to maintain a winning record, which it has done just once over the last four years, re-capturing its nonconference singles success will be crucial with six games left in its regular season.
SU began its ACC slate at home against then-No. 3 North Carolina and then-No. 10 Duke. The Orange only won 1-of-12 singles matches — Miyuka Kimoto’s win over Duke’s then-No. 8 Irina Balus — en route to two overall losses.
The Tar Heels vanquished Kimoto, Monika Wojcik and Anastasia Sysoeva — whose third straight loss in the No. 3 singles slot sealed a UNC victory — by a combined set score of 18-7, 18-6. Thus, three singles showdowns across the two matches didn’t make the final set.
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While Kimoto’s win over Balus claimed SU’s first point in ACC play and an ACC Player of the Week honor, Sysoeva’s loss to then-No. 27 Emma Jackson prolonged her struggles and led to the Orange’s second straight defeat.
On Feb. 28, a 1-4 Miami team traveled to face the Orange, offering them a chance to remedy their slow start. However, fueled by the returning U.S. Open wildcard Alexa Noel, the Hurricanes notched their first ACC win over the Orange, 4-3.
Wojcik picked up her first ACC singles victory, but Serafima Shastova followed with her first singles loss in the conference after her matches against North Carolina and Duke were undecided. While Kimoto fell 6-0 in the first set against Noel, she commanded a 5-0 second set lead. Yet, she lost the next seven games, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead.
Nelly Knezkova then brought the match within one, beating Jaquelyn Ogunwale in two sets at the No. 2 spot before Sysoeva’s first and only ACC win at the No. 3 singles against Miami’s Raquel Gonzalez knotted the score at 3-3. Though, Shiori Ito couldn’t seal a victory, dropping the No. 5 singles.
Two days later, SU won its first doubles point in ACC play against Florida State, giving it a 1-0 lead heading into singles. Still, Kimoto fell to Eve Shaw in two sets before Mary Boyce Deatherage’s win over Sysoeva presented the Seminoles their first lead.
Shastova’s first ACC victory tied it 2-2, while Wojcik’s second-straight win propelled the Orange to a 3-2 lead. Despite Ito falling, the Orange prevailed as Knezkova claimed a win at the No. 2 position to win Syracuse’s first ACC match.
The performance offered the Orange a blueprint for ACC wins. Depth in singles could turn bad losses into tight wins, even with Kimoto, their No. 1 singles competitor, failing to win any of her last four matches.
But, a West Coast trip the following week stripped SU’s momentum. Against Stanford and California, Syracuse won 3-of-12 singles matches, leading to two more defeats.
In Palo Alto, SU’s top three singles — Kimoto, Knezkova and Sysoeva — were all defeated handily, only securing seven of 43 games. Ito’s lone ACC victory was the Orange’s only point against the Cardinal.
A day later, Cal’s Greta Greco Lucchina suffered a lower-body injury that forced her to concede her match against Shastova, but Syracuse’s top three singles fell again, leading to another loss.
If Syracuse continues to struggle in ACC singles matches — especially from its top three players — its chances of heading into the ACC Tournament strong are slim. Embarking on a two-game road trip against Georgia Tech and Clemson this week, all six singles competitors must pitch in to turn the Orange’s season around.
