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Syracuse entered Sunday’s matchup against No. 8 SMU hoping to once again push a ranked opponent deep into sets. It did so in spurts earlier this season, like against No. 15 Miami and No. 21 North Carolina.

Throughout conference play, Syracuse has shown flashes of long blocking runs, momentum-tilting service pressure and depth in the rotation that have kept them in matches late.

“We start off really hot,” outside hitter Skylar George said following SU’s loss to NC State Nov. 16. “We talk about mini games, going first to five, first to ten. Being able to execute that more, and at the end, really finish. That’s something we could work on.”

The Orange looked to prove they could once again compete point-for-point against a national contender when they traveled to Dallas. They did, but again couldn’t finish sets strong.

Against an SMU team stacked with size and efficiency, Syracuse (13-15, 5-13 ACC) couldn’t sustain the scoring bursts needed to extend the match, falling in straight sets to the Mustangs (23-5, 15-3 ACC). SMU hit a commanding .296, while the Orange registered six total blocks and stayed within striking distance behind seven digs each from Rana Yamada, Tehya Maeva, Gabriella McLaughlin and Marie Laurio, along with Soana Lea’ea’s dominant .222 hitting percentage.

With SMU in the hunt for an ACC championship this season, Syracuse entered the matchup in need of a solid service and passing game.

Syracuse opened the first frame with confidence despite SMU’s imposing front line, matching the Mustangs’ power and precision in early exchanges. Maeva established tempo quickly, finding Lea’ea on the left pin and Sydnie Waller in the middle, while Oreva Evivie closed space at the net to slow SMU’s early swings.

The Mustangs attacked aggressively, but SU’s defensive discipline and patience kept the score close at 7-4. McLaughlin tooled high hands and George extended rallies from the right side.

But SMU — boasting a significant height advantage — responded with a heavy offensive push. The Mustangs pieced together a 7-1 surge fueled by sharp cross-court finishes and transition kills, jumping ahead 14-5.

Syracuse refused to fold, calling a timeout and regrouping behind Maeva’s distribution and Yamada’s back-row coverage, but SMU’s block sealed off seams and forced the Orange into eight attack errors midway through the set.

Waller broke the run with a quick-set kill from Maeva, and Lea’ea added another swing to halt the Mustang run. Syracuse rotated strategically — Emma Ortiz, Ashlee Gnau and Evivie checked in to stabilize serve-receive and tighten block timing.

A service error from SMU and a push kill from McLaughlin narrowed the deficit to 11-8, and SU generated its strongest defensive sequence when Evivie and McLaughlin combined for a block that brought the bench to its feet.

Still, SMU’s depth showed in the closing stretch. The Mustangs mixed shots avoided SU’s block and added two service aces to widen the lead. Syracuse continued to chase points, but a late rally wasn’t enough to close the gap. SMU took the opener 25-15.

The Orange were held to five kills on 31 swings, finishing with a -.129 hitting percentage, their worst first-set hitting percentage of the season. Meanwhile, the Mustangs tallied 13 kills on just 30 attempts to hit .300 in the frame.

SMU carried its momentum into the second set, attacking early and often to maintain a lead. However, Syracuse chipped away at SMU’s early dominance. The Orange came out firing, building an early 5-1 lead thanks to two kills and a service ace from George.

The Mustangs, led by Averi Carlson, who averages 11.12 assists per set, second-most in the NCAA, struggled early with errors in serving, receiving and rotations, giving Syracuse easy points.

The Orange mounted a push midway through the second set, fueled by McLaughlin’s serve. She recorded consecutive aces that helped Syracuse climb back into contention, moving their lead to 11-4.

“Now, it’s carrying on that momentum, but it’s tough,” head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said last week. “There are going to be sets that the other team will win. The key is to bounce back from those situations and create momentum.”

However, on Sunday, the momentum shifted the other way. SMU responded with smart attacking and defense from Favor Anyanwu, who recorded seven kills and five blocks in the afternoon, and Malaya Jones, with 14 total kills and three blocks. The Mustangs utilized quick sets and outside attacks to counter Syracuse’s improvements.

It allowed the Mustangs to find their rhythm. Jones, a dominant presence at the net, delivered powerful kills, cutting the lead to 13-10. Back-to-back booming kills from Anyanwu closed the gap to one point at 13-12.

SMU then went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the set, 16-13, fueled by Jones’ 11th kill of the match. Syracuse’s defense began to falter.

SMU continued to dominate with smart offensive sequencing and timely blocks, including its sixth of the match by Anyanwu, which extended its lead to 21–16.

The Mustangs closed out the second set 25-19. Syracuse finished with just eight kills on 41 attempts, with six attack errors, three service aces and a .049 hitting percentage. SMU recorded 16 kills on 33 attempts, hitting .333 with three blocks.

SMU quickly established itself as the dominant force again in set three. Jones continued her impressive performance at the net, using her height and reach to rack up kills, while Anyanwu earned her fifth block of the afternoon, helping SMU tie the score at five.

Syracuse, meanwhile, found some success from the service line, tallying its fifth ace of the day to tie the game at six SMU struggled with consistency and committed multiple service errors, helping Syracuse stay within reach of the Mustang lead.

As the set progressed, SMU began to leverage its offensive firepower. Carlson, the reigning ACC Setter of the Week, continued to orchestrate the Mustangs’ attack with precision, adding to her double-double.

Jordyn Schilling connected with Jones, who tipped the ball deftly over the front line for a 15-8 SMU lead. Syracuse tried to respond, but struggled with attack errors, including several crucial swings that soared out of bounds or into the block.

Despite a strong early showing from Syracuse’s defense, including blocks from Lea’ea and swings from Maeva, the Orange couldn’t find rhythm. Carlson and Jones exploited Syracuse’s difficulties in passing and transitioning to offense, while Anyanwu’s blocking presence made it hard for the Orange to execute any sustained rally.

SMU finished with a convincing 25-14 victory in set three. Syracuse managed five kills in the set, while SMU tallied 13. Syracuse committed seven attack errors compared to SMU’s four, and again tallied a negative hitting percentage at -.054.

Syracuse had 109 attack attempts but only managed 18 kills, the least it’s recorded all season.
The Orange were forced to swing more than in any other match and produced very few successful attacks.

“We’ve got to keep reinventing ourselves, and that’s the way it is for us throughout the season,” Ganesharatnam said Nov. 16.

Published on November 23, 2025 at 6:21 pm
Contact Ellie: esrand@syr.edu