Syracuse volleyball drops final 3 sets in 3-1 defeat to Wake Forest
Syracuse burst out of the gates to a 1-0 lead against Wake Forest but failed to win a single set for the rest of the match, falling to the Demon Deacons 3-1. Lola Jeanne Carpio | Staff Photographer
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Tied at one set apiece, Syracuse needed to win the third set to give itself a chance. SU was looking to snap its five-game losing streak and get back on track in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
But just minutes later, a Syracuse squad characterized by its constant energy and positivity appeared lifeless after Wake Forest raced out to a 6-0 lead in the set.
All season, however, Syracuse head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam has raved about his team’s resilience. And that resilience was on display after the Orange battled back to take a 23-22 lead.
Three points later — with everyone in the Women’s Building on their feet — Sydnie Waller had a golden opportunity from the right side but was blocked by Sadie Poeck and Sanaa Williams. At set point, Wake Forest’s duo emphatically blocked Zharia Harris-Waddy to put the Demon Deacons up 2-1.
In volleyball, the margins early and late in sets are often difference makers. On Friday, that proved to be true for the Orange.
After a disappointing start and finish to the third set, Syracuse (13-12, 5-10 ACC) dropped the fourth set to fall 3-1 to Wake Forest (12-14, 6-9 ACC), extending its losing streak to six. While SU notched its highest hitting percentage (27.9%) since its matchup with Duke on Oct. 17, 12 service errors and just two service aces were too much to overcome.
“Even though it was 3-1, I think this match could truly have gone either way based on the outcome of that (third) set. I think that was the crucial moment,” Ganesharatnam said.
It’s hard to pinpoint a single reason for Syracuse’s struggles in its five-game losing streak, but inefficient offensive play has been SU’s Achilles heel. The Orange have hit just 15.9% in that span.
Friday’s matchup against Wake Forest was a prime opportunity for the Orange to find an offensive rhythm, as the Demon Deacons entered ranked 17th in opponent hitting percentage allowed (25.6%) in ACC play.
Right out of the gate, Syracuse did exactly that, hitting a staggering 44.1% in the first set. When SU’s offense is in sync, Skylar George and Gabriella McLaughlin typically lead the way. Both registered four first-set kills, with Harris-Waddy chipping in four as well.
Ganesharatnam, who mentioned that SU started flat in its previous two games, opted to start defensive specialist Ashlee Gnau to give the team a boost. Gnau, who had logged just 12 sets on the season coming into the game, couldn’t handle Poeck’s cross-court attempt, giving Wake Forest a 2-1 lead.
“I thought (Gnau) had some really good sessions this week. She looked really stable on service and receive,” Ganesharatnam said. “So, we thought that she deserves a shot on the right side.”
Throughout the first set, it was clear SU wanted to bring more energy than its previous two home matches. Trailing 9-6, Soana Lea’ea provided it. Lea’ea utilized a one-handed push shot after the set’s longest rally to give SU a point.
Both teams continued to trade points until a 3-0 burst from George put the Orange up 17-14 — their largest lead of the set — with two kills and a co-block sandwiched in between.
From there, George’s solo run was the difference. Despite seven first-set service errors, Waller’s second kill gave the Orange a comfortable 25-21 first-set victory.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way, but we work on (serving) a lot and that’s just something that is normally a strength for us,” SU outside hitter Marie Laurio said.
The second set featured a similar story as the first, with the Demon Deacons holding a narrow lead for the majority of the set. Patrycja Lagida’s finesse shot fooled Syracuse’s block multiple times in the second set, but this time, Poeck dropped it in softly behind its defense to tie the set 14-14.
But unlike the first set, George didn’t have any heroics. A late 4-0 Wake Forest run broke the set open, and after Harris-Waddy’s attempt sailed long, the match was tied at one.
That run carried over to the third set, when Wake Forest ran off six straight points to open the scoring. While nine of McLaughlin’s 21 kills came in the monumental third set, the Demon Deacon’s initial burst was enough to take the set 26-24.
Syracuse’s 27.9% hitting percentage was certainly a bright spot, but George (12.5%) struggled overall in the first three sets. With her team trailing 2-1, George opted for a high spin shot and found the back right corner to give SU a 7-5 advantage. For the first half of the set, it seemed poised that the Orange would force a fifth set.
Similar to the previous two sets, however, the Orange had no answer for Wake Forest’s scoring runs. The Demon Deacons took an 18-13 lead after Rana Yamada couldn’t handle Williams’ serve. From there, Ganesharatnam called a pair of timeouts to regroup, but it didn’t matter.
At match point, Ryleigh Whitekettle capitalized on a poor SU attack attempt by firing a shot inside the end line to give Wake Forest the win.
“We’ve got to keep reinventing ourselves, and that’s the way it is for us throughout the season,” Ganesharatnam said.
