Defensive lapses hamper Syracuse volleyball in 3-0 loss to Buffalo
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The Women’s Building was silent as a crypt when Buffalo’s Hailey Campagna delivered the final blow, smashing the ball past the diving hand of Syracuse libero Yuka Urano.
That moment summed up SU defense’s Sunday afternoon. The unit couldn’t keep up with the Bulls’ aggressive attack despite their late efforts to recalibrate. The block couldn’t stymie Buffalo’s high-powered offense at the net, while the back row — usually Syracuse’s lifeline — couldn’t consistently corral the ball.
The offense, without the defense to keep them afloat, couldn’t respond, as Buffalo siphoned any chance the Orange had at sweeping the Syracuse Invitational.
Syracuse (5-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) quickly succumbed to Buffalo’s (8-3, 0-0 Mid-American) offensive pressure, losing in straight sets to end its nonconference slate. The Orange’s defense could only muster 29 digs, their second-lowest mark this season and their first sub-30 performance since their season opener against Cincinnati. Blocking didn’t fare any better, tying the second-worst showing with three.
“On the defensive end, obviously, the blocking has improved,” SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said postgame. “That’s still a work in progress.”
The Orange seemed in control of the opening set. Up 15-13 midway through, Syracuse’s offense was dealing, and the defense had limited the Bulls’ chances.
However, defensive cracks began showing during Buffalo’s 3-0 run to take the lead. Syracuse fought back, tying the game at 19 off a rare Bulls attack error. But it was for naught, as Buffalo ended the set outscoring the Orange 10-5 to take it 25-20. Of those 10 points, five were kills and two were aces.
Syracuse lost control in the second frame, starting with three straight attack errors to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead. Despite a temporary comeback to tie the set at three, the Bulls went on another 3-0 run and wouldn’t relinquish their advantage.
Buffalo’s offense had a second-set field day, compiling 16 kills. UB’s Manoela Forlin and Campagna had double-digit kills Sunday, and both sported hitting percentages at or over 40%. The Orange’s defense, on the other hand, was on the back foot. They only conjured one second-set block, leaving the back row at the mercy of Buffalo’s pin hitters.
“Our block was really trying, working hard,” Ganesharatnam said. “However, we could have possibly done a better job getting touches in order to give all (defenders) a better chance to recover.”
Urano, who’s been a solid defensive presence for Syracuse this season, was seemingly overwhelmed by the Bulls’ attack. She recorded five digs, her worst performance of the season after entering the day with four straight double-digit dig performances.
Bella Rodriguez, a defensive-minded pin hitter, picked up the slack. She led SU with nine digs, matching her season-high mark. However, her heroics weren’t enough, as Buffalo claimed the second set with another 25-20 victory.
Ganesharatnam made adjustments going into the third set. He subbed in Emma Faerber for Abby Nicholson and Anna Smith for Urano to jumpstart the defense.
“Abby was struggling a little bit with the blocking touches and the offensive numbers,” Ganesharatnam said. “And (with) Anna, we wanted to create an opportunity to cover some of the spaces that were open.”
It was too little too late for Syracuse. The Bulls stampeded the Orange in a near-perfect third set, racking up 14 more kills. SU couldn’t block a single attack.
A 6-0 run was the dagger, giving Buffalo an insurmountable 13-4 lead. Despite a late comeback attempt where Syracuse outscored UB 5-2, the defense couldn’t earn a stop, and the Bulls won the set 25-15 to take the match in straight sets.
While the nonconference ending wasn’t ideal, especially in straight-sets fashion, Ganesharatnam still has faith in his group.
“As a team, there’s still some room there that we want to work on,” Ganesharatnam said. “We understand there’s some room there for improvement going through (the) conference schedule.”
