Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Syracuse came out firing in the first set against Wake Forest Sunday, especially from the left side. Ava Palm, after a poor performance on Friday, totaled five kills in the first set alone. SU had a 7-4 lead, but Wake Forest battled to keep the game close and eventually take the lead.

The first set was indicative of the Orange’s impending result. Syracuse (13-11, 1-11 Atlantic Coast Conference) was defeated by Wake Forest (13-10, 5-7 ACC) in four sets Sunday. SU gave up numerous leads, including a 24-20 lead in the third set with the match tied at 1-1. The Orange lost each of the last two sets en route to their 11th conference defeat.

The Demon Deacons were excellent at the net, led by Dior Charles, who had 11 kills and six blocks with a hitting percentage of .556. After trailing by two, Syracuse went on a 3-0 run to go up 23-22 after two Wake Forest errors and a kill from Palm. However, SU squandered three consecutive kills to lose the first set 25-22.

The second set was another fast start for the Orange, as they quickly got up 8-4 despite three errors. Two successful challenges from SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam helped Syracuse keep a 13-10 lead.

A rare but perfectly timed kill from Veronica Sierzant put Syracuse up 24-17. However, Wake Forest scored six unanswered points, thinning SU’s lead to one. A service error from Paige Crawford gave Syracuse the set win. It was Syracuse’s fourth set win in ACC road matches.

The third set started tightly contested as good plays from sophomores Zharia Harris-Waddy and Sydnie Waller kept Syracuse close. A 7-2 scoring run headlined by Harris-Waddy and Palm gave Syracuse command and a 17-12 lead in the set.

SU stayed sharp, keeping its lead at 24-20, forcing a set point. Then, with its back against the wall, Wake Forest went on a 5-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. Needing a point, Palm recorded a crucial kill to keep the set alive and a block from Harris-Waddy gave Syracuse another set point. After an untimely error from Palm, WF responded with kills from Charles and Laila Ricks to win the set 28-26. Syracuse had five set points in the match but couldn’t close it out.

Riding high after a come-from-behind set win, Wake Forest cruised to victory in the fourth set. Crawford was dominant with 17 kills throughout the game as her team recorded 13 kills in the last set to Syracuse’s five. The Demon Deacons won the last set 25-13 as Syracuse lost all juice after a demoralizing third set.

Wake Forest dominated the game at the net, out-blocking the Orange in every set. Tina Grkovic totaled a game-high eight blocks. The presence at the net Wake Forest reestablished forced the Orange to attack from further out or go cross-court. As a result, SU averaged one less kill per set than its season average and totaled 26 attacking errors.

Even though the team has struggled mightily in ACC play, the sophomore holdovers from last year’s team have seen more playing time and have steadily improved. Sierzant had her best game of the year today with a season-high 20 digs and 27 assists.

Waller stayed sharp with 10 kills and only two errors as she was the Orange’s most efficient attacker. Harris-Waddy had six blocks and five kills as she was Syracuse’s best middle blocker. Meanwhile, Greta Schlichter had 10 digs and three aces.

Published on November 3, 2024 at 5:39 pm

Contact Aidan: aidan.tseng@gmail.com