Syracuse exits ACC Tournament in 3rd round with 4-0 loss to GT
Syracuse bowed out of the ACC Tournament in the third round Thursday against No. 8 seed Georgia Tech, likely ending its season. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Syracuse’s 2025 season can be described in a few words. At first, it was dominant, then outclassed and predictable later on. However, one word hasn’t been used to describe the Orange all season: clutch.
SU has teetered around the word all season. A last gasp loss to Miami almost put it over the hump. Things seemed like they would change once it knocked off Florida State. But a six-game skid ensued. An improbable win against Louisville stopped the bleeding before a 4-0 loss to Notre Dame ripped off the band-aid.
Entering the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, it seemed SU would be outclassed. Even when it defeated a one-win No. 17 seed Boston College on Tuesday, the writing seemed to be on the wall against No. 9 seed Clemson. But Miyuka Kimoto’s three-set victory in the No. 1 singles propelled SU to its second victory in as many days.
For the first time since joining the conference in 2013-14, the Orange headed into the third round of the ACC Tournament. Yet, on Thursday, Syracuse’s (11-11, 2-10 ACC) run ended against No. 8 seed Georgia Tech (13-10, 6-6 ACC). SU didn’t register a win, as GT won two doubles matches to clinch the doubles point and three singles matches to sweep the Orange.
In its previous two matches, Syracuse has found its groove in doubles matches, falling only two wins short of its conference regular-season total. The reason? Consistency.
Kimoto and Anastasia Sysoeva have paired together in the No. 2 doubles since SU’s loss to the Fighting Irish, while Nelly Knezkova and Shiori Ito have joined forces in the No. 1 doubles. Monika Wojcik and Serafima Shastova have also played together since a nonconference win against BC in early February.
Yet, the Yellow Jackets held leads in all three doubles matches to begin the third round of the ACC Tournament. Ito’s poorly placed forehand put GT’s Kylie Bilchev and Scarlett Nicholson up 2-1. At the same time, Kate Sharabura and Alejandra Cruz opened up a 3-0 lead over Kimoto and Sysoeva in the No. 2 doubles.
Given Roach and Taly Licht clung to a two-game lead over Wojcik and Shastova. But the Orange stayed within striking distance.
A Georgia Tech undercooked backhand shortened Ito and Knezkova’s gap to one. Licht’s delicate touch at the net proved too strong as it fell outside the white lines. Despite stretching for Sysoeva’s return, Sharabura couldn’t reach it.
It seemed like the Orange were on the way to winning their third straight doubles point against ACC opponents. The Yellow Jackets had other plans.
Sysoeva tried to place the ball along GT’s right sideline but put too much on it, allowing Cruz and Sharabura to win their first doubles match together this season. In the No. 1 doubles, a Syracuse backhand at the net put Georgia Tech up 1-0.
SU has been given chances to be clutch before Thursday. If Ito beat Miami’s Xinyi Nong, she would’ve been the hero of SU’s first ACC win. But she didn’t. Two days later against the Seminoles, Knezkova delivered. Against Louisville, a potential SU win fell on Knezkova’s shoulders once again, and the Hawaii transfer came through once more.
Tuesday, Wojcik’s win over BC’s Alex Torre sealed a 4-2 win. Against the Tigers, it was Kimoto who walked it off. But against Georgia Tech, Syracuse never got the chance.
Sysoeva’s long backhand confirmed a Sharabura 6-2 first-set triumph. Ito’s short forehand repeated the trend against Roach as she won the first set 6-3. Cruz then beat Knezkova 6-2. The Orange found quick solace after Kimoto’s leaning forehand scored a one-set lead. But, at deuce, Constance Levivier, who replaced Shastova in the No. 6 singles, misplaced her forehand as it soared into the net.
After originally trailing by three games, Wojcik garnered a one-game lead at 6-5. At deuce in the 12th game, Wojcik’s ace secured a first-set victory that kept the Orange alive.
Roach’s perfectly placed slice strengthened GT’s lead to two, which later grew to an unreachable four as Knezkova and Sysoeva fell to Cruz and Sharabura, respectively.
In three days, Syracuse played its best tennis all season. Wins against Boston College and Clemson equaled its conference victories in just under two months. However, Georgia Tech was too much to handle, as the Orange recorded their best finish in the ACC Tournament but ultimately fell short of securing their first ACC championship and fifth NCAA Tournament appearance.
