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After securing two wins in 2023, Syracuse improved to 15 last season due to its non-conference dominance. The Orange swept opponents in seven of 12 games, and its 12-0 start was the program’s best since 2010. That momentum was sparked by SU’s dominance in the Salt City Classic, the team’s opening tournament.

During head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam’s media availability on Tuesday, he emphasized that developing team chemistry is a “work in progress” because of SU’s many new faces. Just seven players are returning to the Orange from last year’s team.

On Friday and Saturday in the first two games of the 2025 Salt City Classic, there were little signs of early-season growing pains, as Syracuse (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) defeated Niagara (0-2, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic) 3-0 and Rider (1-1, 0-0 MAAC) 3-1. The Orange handled Niagara convincingly, but Rider’s gritty playstyle gave the Orange problems.

“We want to go back, look at the film, and clean things up a little bit,” Ganesharatnam said. “I don’t think we need to reinvent volleyball. I think this team knows how to play. We just have to execute a little cleaner and a little bit crisper.”

From the season-opening set, Syracuse’s newcomers made their presence felt. Gabriella McLaughlin, a Nevada transfer, had a pair of emphatic kills, including one that landed just inside the back right line. Her chemistry with setter Tehya Maeva was evident — both shared the court at Nevada and were recently named Syracuse’s 2025 captains. McLaughlin described the connection as “bread and butter.”

Maeva brings an element that SU has been missing in recent years: her ability to set up scoring opportunities for her teammates. Last season at Nevada, Maeva totaled 895 assists, over 200 more than any Syracuse player in 2024.

“Just because players have not been with us here does not mean they haven’t led somewhere else,” Ganesharatnam said about the two captains.

Syracuse’s serve proved to be the difference in the first set, propelling them to a comfortable 16-9 lead. In its 25-19 set victory, the Orange recorded three service aces while Niagara racked up four service errors.

The Purple Eagles provided more resistance in the second set, matching the Orange’s offensive intensity from the first set. At 16-16, Skylar George entered the game for the first time and immediately made an impact. Leading 24-19, the Houston, Texas native combined with Zharia Harris-Waddy to notch a co-block, giving Syracuse a 25-19 set victory. George ranked second on the team in kills (258) a season ago and is poised for an even larger role in her second year with the Orange.

While Syracuse’s .171 hitting percentage was not up to standard, Niagara posted just a 0.022 percentage for the second set. The Purple Eagles had more success in the third set, elevating that number to .125. However, Syracuse’s dynamic offense made its mark with a .375 hitting percentage, improving from its .177 mark in 2024, which placed 17th in the ACC.

Niagara jumped out to a 5-2 lead after George’s spike sailed out of play. That lead grew to 15-11, and Syracuse appeared to be in danger of dropping its first set of the night. But as the pressure ramped up, SU remained composed. Tied at 21, SU rattled off three straight points to take a 24-21 lead.

Then, Veronica Sierzant, who paced the team with 30 assists, called her own number with a two-handed push shot that landed between multiple Niagara defenders to claim a 3-0 Orange victory.

“I don’t think there was any doubt in our mind that we were going to lose that set. We just had to get our rhythm back. And once we got that back, it was really good from there,” McLaughlin said.

SU had won the battle against Niagara. Saturday’s match against Rider offered Syracuse its first true test.

Syracuse battled through the first two sets, with each having few scoring runs. The team was forced to find a way to get points on the board in many ways. With Syracuse up 1-0 in sets, Rider capitalized on SU defensive miscommunications to take a 20-18 lead, prompting Ganesharatnam to call a timeout.

From there, Syracuse’s defining moment came defensively. Trailing 23-22, Sierzant and Harris-Waddy responded with two crucial blocks to take a 24-23 lead. McLaughlin then finished off the Broncs with a forceful spike. Through two games, McLaughlin has totaled 29 kills, adding a new layer to an offense that struggled to generate kills a year ago.

While McLaughlin has shined in the early going, Ganesharatnam believes it’s crucial to “find a way to distribute the sets a little more evenly” to give her more rest.

It appeared that the Orange had taken the Broncs’ best punch following their second set comeback, but Rider responded with a timely third set charge.

Tied at 15-15, Rider won three straight points, capped by an Anja Kelly spike that led to a SU timeout. Rider never relinquished its lead, narrowly defeating Syracuse 25-23 while boasting a 16-11 kill advantage in the set.

Up two sets to one, Ganesharatnam knew the offense needed a spark. He called on George, who hadn’t played to that point.

While there hadn’t been many scoring runs throughout the match, the fourth set featured multiple large swings. Down 13-12, SU notched five straight points, but Rider, displaying its resolve, won the next three points to tie the game at 17.

At 19-19, it was Syracuse who had one last run in it, winning the next four points, with George logging her sixth kill of the set to take a 24-19 advantage. Just like versus Niagara, Sierzant ended Rider’s hopes with a kill that ricocheted off multiple Broncs’ hands.

The win — SU’s second in two days — sets it up perfectly for another hot start to the season, and a chance to keep the momentum going in conference play.

“I want to give the team a lot of credit for working through these adversities that we faced throughout the match, and finding a way to stay in it and not fold,” Ganesharatnam said.

Published on August 30, 2025 at 9:12 pm