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Doubles was a weak point last season for Syracuse.

The Orange went 27-33 overall in the category last season, and faced even more trouble in Atlantic Coast Conference play, winning just five doubles matches against ACC foes.

But in tournament play this past fall, SU showed signs of improvement. It won six combined doubles matches at the Villanova/UD Invitational and the UB Indoor Invitational, and saw the pairing of Nelly Knezkova and Anastasia Sysoeva make a run to the finals of the ITA New England Regionals. That progression continued into the spring, as Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast) kicked off its 2026 season with a convincing sweep in doubles play to defeat Cornell (0-1, Ivy League) 7-0.

Just as they did in the New England Regionals, Knezkova and Sysoeva slotted in as the No. 1 doubles pair and dominated their match against Cornell’s Victoria Zhao and Martina Marcia. After jumping out to an early lead, Knezkova hit a cross-body shot into empty space to grab the third game and give Syracuse a healthy advantage.

The pair gave up only one game in their dominant 6-1 triumph. Head coach Younes Limam tempered expectations, but couldn’t deny his satisfaction with their early returns thus far.

“So far, it’s been working really well,” Limam said. “But at the same time, it’s a long season.”

Limam has had every reason to be cautious throughout his tenure as SU’s head coach. Last season, he watched injuries prevent veteran Miyuka Kimoto from playing late in the spring.

“A lot of things happen from injury, confidence and stuff like that,” Limam said.

In the No. 2 doubles match, Serafima Shastova and Monika Wojcik claimed a 6-2 victory over Cornell’s pairing of Dylan Gelber and Emma Baker — who entered the season as two of the Big Red’s top players. Gelber, a freshman, played especially strong in fall singles, while Baker was the only Cornell player to post a winning record in doubles this fall.

With the win, Shastova and Wojcik claimed the doubles point for Syracuse, putting them up 1-0 overall before singles play began.

In the last doubles match of the morning, Constance Levivier and Leena Bennetto battled with the Big Red’s duo of Sage Loudon and Andrea Martinez De Los Rios.

It was much closer than the previous two doubles contests, with Syracuse leading a back-and-forth match 5-4 after the ninth game. On the brink of victory, Levivier hit a gentle return diagonally across the net to win the match and complete the sweep for the Orange.

The match was an impressive start to Bennetto’s time with the Orange. The graduate student started her career at Princeton before signing with Miami after the 2025 spring season. Bennetto saw no fall playing time with the Hurricanes, which led to her arrival in central New York.

Bennetto officially joined the team just two days before the contest, and was immediately thrown into the fray to make an instant impact. With the slim victory, she did just that.

“(It’s) never easy to play that first match,” Limam said. “But (I’m) very proud of her and how she handled the moment.”

Even with the strong veteran presences of Kimoto and Shiori Ito, doubles was a consistent thorn in SU’s side throughout the 2025 campaign. But if its win over Cornell was any indication, Syracuse’s Achilles’ heel might finally be a strength.

“I thought we came in with a lot of energy in the doubles,” Limam said. “And that kind of set the tone for the rest of the match.”

Published on January 17, 2026 at 3:27 pm
Contact Ben: bglofy@syr.edu