Syracuse volleyball swept by Buffalo in final nonconference match
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Coming off a four-set win against Fairleigh Dickinson, Syracuse appeared to be trending forward. Consecutive wins against FDU and Canisius brought promise, and outside hitter Kiernan Stamey alleviated her recent woes with a 19-kill night.
SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam had plenty of reasons to be pleased. His middle block, which he’s harped on, was coming together, and his offense was producing at its best rate of the season.
The Orange looked ready for a conference schedule featuring five top-25 opponents. One more match lay between Syracuse and its Atlantic Coast Conference slate, a chance to establish itself as a competitor in a loaded ACC.
But across the net, Buffalo was eager, too. The Bulls entered the contest at 7-3, and SU was their first Power Four opponent.
Both teams had something to prove, but Buffalo (8-3, 0-0 Mid-Atlantic) dominated in a wire-to-wire victory, sweeping Syracuse (5-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) in SU’s final nonconference contest. The Bulls exploited the Orange’s defense, poked holes in the block and capitalized on Syracuse’s miscommunication.
“When you face a team that has multiple attackers that can finish the play for them, it has to be a team effort to slow them down and recover those balls,” Ganesharatnam said. “We just have to slow down the offense.”
The match started in SU’s favor. A powerful kill from Stamey sparked the Orange’s 5-2 lead. But two quick errors and a Buffalo kill turned the tide. With Syracuse trailing for the first time, outside hitter Bella Rodriguez dove out of bounds and miraculously stuck out one hand to keep the ball in play. Middle blocker Bo Nijenhuis followed with a block at the net to even the score.
Rodriguez was one of Syracuse’s bright spots all match long. She led the team with nine digs.
Two consecutive kills from middle blocker Abby Nicholson put SU up four points at the media break, but it didn’t last. Two kills from Buffalo’s Manoela Forlin, one from Hailey Campagna and an SU service error gave UB a one-point lead.
Forlin and Campagna caused Syracuse problems all afternoon. The pair combined for 25 kills and both posted a hitting percentage of .400 or above.
After controlling the start of the set, the Orange fell apart at the end. Tied 19-19, SU let up four unanswered points before a Keila Gabriel attack error finished it.
The Bulls picked up where they left off in the second set. Three straight Syracuse errors put UB up 3-0, but the Orange responded with their own three-point run. Then, Buffalo reclaimed its lead with a kill and two more SU errors.
The Bulls entered the media break with a 15-10 lead. A pair of kills from Gabriel and Stamey brought SU within striking distance, but the Orange couldn’t sustain the momentum.
After Stamey’s kill cut Syracuse’s deficit to two, Campagna and Forlin notched back-to-back kills to regain UB’s five-point lead. Leading 24-20, Forlin put a ball past Syracuse’s defense to give the Bulls a two-set lead.
The Orange’s defensive struggles continued. Buffalo’s relentless attack pulled in SU’s back row, exposing open court to exploit.
“We need to work on improving the communication at the net, and understanding that we need to work together at the net and in the back,” Ganesharatnam said.
These defensive lapses were especially evident in the third and final frame of Sunday’s loss.
Stamey and Gabriel gave SU a 2-0 lead, but just like the two sets prior, Buffalo took control. The Bulls tied the match before catching fire. They went on a 13-2 run, taking a commanding 10-point lead as Campagna and Forlin entered the break with back-to-back kills.
Time was running out for Syracuse, and Ganesharatnam knew it. After sticking with a tight rotation over the past few matches, he made some changes. Middle blocker Emma Faerber and defensive specialist Anna Smith came on. It was Faerber’s fourth appearance of the season and Smith’s first since Syracuse’s loss to Illinois at the start of the season.
“We felt like (Emma) could bring some fresh legs and a little bit more energy in that situation,” Ganesharatnam said. “(With Anna), we wanted to create an opportunity to cover some of the spaces that were open. She was able to give us a better chance there.”
The last-ditch changes did little to swing momentum in Syracuse’s favor as UB took a 22-10 lead. With its back against the wall, SU rallied for four points. However, after haunting the Orange all afternoon, Buffalo’s dynamic pairing of Forlin and Campagna put the final nail in the coffin, giving Syracuse its worst loss of the season.
