Syracuse volleyball’s captains blend distinct paths to boost team’s bond
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The bus ride from Syracuse, New York, to Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, takes about 11 hours and 28 minutes. Syracuse made the 768-mile trek on the final weekend of August for season-opening matches against Cincinnati and Illinois. It was a fresh start for a program that lost all but one of its players from the season prior.
It was just another expedition, albeit with a different role, for Marie Laurio, the lone returner. For Abby Nicholson, it began the final stages of her accomplished collegiate career. And for Yuka Urano, the trip was nothing compared to the journey that brought her from Tokyo, Japan, to Texas and eventually Syracuse.
Their paths couldn’t be more different. But Laurio, Nicholson, and Urano share a common thread: they’re the Orange’s captains. Through seven matches, the trio has anchored Syracuse’s (4-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) potent start.
Laurio has been the Orange’s key piece of familiarity. Out of Saline High School (Michigan), Laurio joined a 2025 Syracuse squad rife with outside hitter talent, sitting behind Gabriella McLaughlin and Skylar George.
She played in five of Syracuse’s first six sets last year but just one across the next three matches. Laurio didn’t find a consistent role until mid-October in a five-set victory against Boston College.
Syracuse players gather behind the net after winning a point during last Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Arkansas. Before the defeat, the Orange rattled off three consecutive wins and now sit above .500. Hailey Gasnik | Contributing Photographer
After right-side hitter Sydnie Waller struggled in the first set, head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam called on Laurio, despite her lack of experience at the position. She flourished with a 10-kill, 13-dig double-double. Laurio became a rotation mainstay, playing 64% of the Orange’s remaining sets to close the year.
After the season, Laurio’s teammates fled for the transfer portal. She was Syracuse’s only player to return for 2026, trusting Ganesharatnam and Co. would retool.
So far, Laurio’s been rewarded for her loyalty. She started the season’s first two matches before suffering a minor injury. She returned to the lineup in a loss to Arkansas on Aug. 30, making a 15-kill, 11-dig statement.
“Marie is awesome. She’s a really good teammate,” Ganesharatnam said. “She’s very open to growth, and she has huge potential.”
As Syracuse builds toward ACC play, it’ll rely heavily on Laurio for on- and off-court guidance as its only returner.
One new face is Nicholson, a dual-sport standout at Savannah Day Country School (Georgia). She was a four-year starter and won First-Team All-Region honors as a senior in basketball and volleyball. She eventually began her collegiate career at Lafayette.
Nicholson didn’t have an immediate role with the Leopards. She redshirted her freshman season and played three matches as a sophomore. In her junior year, she started 11 of her 14 matches. She led Lafayette with 1.03 blocks per set and 36 total.
In her senior year, she was one of three players to play all 95 sets, all at middle blocker. She set career highs in nearly every category, exploding for 145 kills and 96 blocks.
Syracuse pin hitter Marie Laurio high-fives former SU setter Tehya Maeva during a 3-1 win over Rider on Aug. 30, 2025. After a midseason benching, she was revitalized through a switch to right-side hitter. Lindsay Baloun | Contributing Photographer
She graduated in the spring and used her fifth year of eligibility to pursue a master’s degree at Syracuse.
“I just wanted to play at the higher level. Power Four volleyball is so much fun,” Nicholson said. “After my conversation with the (Syracuse) coaches and meeting the team, it was the right fit.”
Nicholson’s impact was immediate. She’s played every set so far, amassing 39 kills and a team-high 25 blocks.
Unlike her co-captains, Urano’s journey began on a different continent, about 6,561 miles away from Syracuse at Shimokitazawa Seitoku High School in Tokyo, Japan. Over three years, she helped her team to a 2023 Inter High School Championship and 2025 finals berth at the Haruko Championship, Japan’s annual 104-team tournament featuring teams from across the country.
With professional aspirations, Urano moved to Corsicana, Texas, to attend Navarro College. Urano became a defensive stalwart during her lone junior college season, totaling 502 digs and 142 assists across 33 matches. She won Region XIV Libero of the Year and First Team All-Region honors following a year including 12 matches with 20-plus digs.
Through seven matches with Syracuse, Urano’s became its defensive backbone, playing every set at libero. After recording 28 digs in the first four games, she went off for 23 at Cornell, winning Cornell Invitational Most Valuable Player.
She hasn’t slowed down since, notching 14 digs in Syracuse’s home opener against Arkansas and 15 in a three-set thrashing of Canisius.
While the Orange’s results against ACC-level foes haven’t been promising, the captain trio has kept it competitive. With conference play approaching fast, SU will lean on Laurio, Nicholson and Urano to find better results.
