Syracuse University
Colgate University
Volleyball Rolls into Week Seven
10/6/2009 10:04:10 AM | Volleyball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange volleyball team looks to continue its winning ways on week seven of the season, entertaining Colgate on Tuesday, October 6, at 7 p.m. before hitting the road for a pair of BIG EAST contests at St. John's on Saturday, October 10 at 2 p.m. and Connecticut on Sunday, October 11 at 2 p.m. Syracuse is 13-5 on the season and 3-1 in conference play entering the week, while also boasting an undefeated 6-0 record on its home court.
Last Time Out: BIG EAST Come Home
The Orange opened home BIG EAST play over the weekend, defeating Rutgers, 3-0, on Friday and Seton Hall, 3-1, on Sunday.
Seniors Sarah Morton and Kacie MacTavish set the standard offensively, with 22 kills each over the two matches. The team co-captains also contributed defensively, as Morton posted a team-best 11 rejections and MacTavish tallied 21 digs and had her 11th double-double of the season against Seton Hall. Senior outside hitter Annabelle Pellerin was also a contributor on both sides of the ball, posting 17 kills and seven blocks. Freshman Laura Homann continued to consistently power the Orange offense, dishing out 76 assists.
Defensively senior Shanetha McLaurin and sophomore Noemie Lefebvre split time at libero, posting 24 and 20 digs, respectively, through the two matches.
Orange on the Net
All three matches this week will be available via live stats. Fans can also watch all the action from Saturday's match at St. John's via live streaming video.
Oct. 6, 2009 vs. Colgate Live Stats
Oct. 10, 2009 at St. John's Live Stats | Live Video
Oct. 11, 2009 at UConn Live Stats
Syracuse-Colgate Series
The Orange holds a commanding, 44-9-2 edge in the all-time series with Colgate, which dates back to 1973. Syracuse has won the last 17 meetings between the two teams, most recently defeating the Raiders, 3-1 at the 2008 Colgate Invitational in Hamilton, N.Y.
Nine current student-athletes have played in at least one match against Colgate in their careers. MacTavish has posted 41 kills against the Raiders in three meetings, while Morton has been extremely accurate, hitting .515 with just four errors and chalking up double-digit kills in each of the three contests.
Kacie MacTavish – 41 kills, 16 digs, 10 blocks, 2 assists, 3 service aces (3 matches)
Sarah Morton – 38 kills, 15 blocks, .515 attack percentage (3 matches)
Shanetha McLaurin – 22 digs (3 matches)
Annabelle Pellerin – 8 kills (2 matches)
Mindy Stanislovaitis – 6 kills, 4 assists, 3 blocks (2 matches)
Noemie Lefebvre – 8 kills, 7 digs (1 match)
Hayley Todd – 11 kills, 8 block assists (1 match)
Erin Little – 1 assist, 1 block assist (1 match)
Ashley Williams – 1 dig (1 match)
Scouting the Raiders
Colgate enters Tuesday's match at 6-9 overall, having won five of its last eight matches. The Raiders are 3-1 in Patriot League action and are coming off their biggest win of the season after defeating two-time defending league champion American, 3-1, on the road on Saturday.
“Colgate continues to improve every year under the guidance of head coach Ryan Baker,” assistant coach Carol LaMarche said. “They have some impressive wins this season including one from this past weekend against American. Our key to the game will be to come out prepared for a tough match. This past weekend both of our first sets were shaky, we need to play right from the start against the Raiders.”
Freshman right side hitter Kaleigh Durket has been the breakout player for the Raiders, leading the offense with 183 kills, averaging 3.10 kills per set with a team-best .261 attack percentage. Colgate typically utilizes a 6-2 rotation, with senior Meghan Fanta and sophomore Blaire Safir splitting time at setter. Fanta leads the team with 378 assists on the season, averaging 6.41 per game while Safir has 206 and averages 3.68.
The Raiders also boast a balanced back row defense, with four players logging more than 100 digs on the season. Junior libero Devon Applegate, the only defensive specialist listed on Colgate's roster, leads the team with 235 digs, averaging 3.98 per game while Durket, Fanta and outside hitter Logan Keala each average 2.00 digs per game or more. Junior Casey Ritt is the defensive leader at the net, posting 56 total rejections.
Syracuse –St. John's Series
The Red Storm holds a narrow, 8-7 edge in the all-time series with the Orange, which dates back to 1994. The three-time defending BIG EAST regular season champions, St. John's has won the last three meetings between the two teams, most recently defeating SU on its home court, 3-1, on Oct. 5, 2008.
Eight current student-athletes have played at least one match against St. John's in their careers.
Kacie MacTavish – 34 kills, 36 digs (3 matches)
Sarah Morton – 28 kills, 12 blocks (3 matches)
Shanetha McLaurin – 20 digs (3 matches)
Annabelle Pellerin – 1 kill, 2 blocks (1 match)
Mindy Stanislovaitis – 11 kills, 2 blocks, .400 attack percentage (1 match)
Noemie Lefebvre – 4 kills, 11 digs, 2 blocks (1 match)
Hayley Todd – 2 digs, 2 blocks (1 match)
Erin Little – 1 kills, 1 dig, 3 blocks (1 match)
Scouting the Red Storm
St. John's has yet to hit its stride on the season, currently at 8-11 overall and 1-2 in the BIG EAST after losing three of its last five. Saturday's match will be the first action for the Red Storm in more than a week, as its Sunday, Oct. 4 match at South Florida was cancelled due to a power outage. St. John's last took the court at Georgetown on Friday, Oct. 2, dropping a 3-0 decision to give the Hoyas their first BIG EAST win of the season.
“In recent years St. John's has been at the top of the BIG EAST,” LaMarche said. “They usually have a well-balanced offense that we are going to need to shut down in order to win. Our senior class has never beaten St. John's and I know they are looking forward to Saturday's game.”
After losing five starters, including its starting libero from a year ago, St. John's is rebuilding its lineup with youth, as three of four statistical leaders are underclassmen. Sophomore outside hitter Darlene Ramdin is the ace for the Red Storm, recording 288 kills on the season to average 4.88 kills per game, leading the team by more than 2.00 kills per game. Freshman Gabriela Petkova has stepped into the role of starting setter, dishing out 715 assists to rank just above Homann on the BIG EAST charts in attacks per set (10.21).
Defensively, freshman libero Ashley Asing sets the tone for the back row, averaging 3.77 assist per game with 264 total assists on the season. Junior Diana Banya is the Red Storm's defensive leader at the net, registering 63 total blocks.
Syracuse-Connecticut Series
The Orange leads the all-time series with the Huskies, 26-14, which dates back to 1980. Syracuse won the last match between the two teams on Oct. 3, 2008 capturing a closely contested four-set thriller, 3-1, to open home BIG EAST play.
Eight current student-athletes have participated in at least one match against Connecticut in their careers.
Sarah Morton – 30 kills, 17 blocks (3 matches)
Shanetha McLaurin – 27 digs, 2 service aces (2 matches)
Kacie MacTavish – 17 kills, 3 blocks, 8 digs, 2 service aces (2 matches)
Annabelle Pellerin – 19 kills, 8 digs, 1 block (1 match)
* career-high 19 kills against Connecticut in 2006
Mindy Stanislovaitis – 3 kills, 3 blocks (1 match)
Noemie Lefebvre – 15 kills, 4 assists, 11 digs (1 match)
Hayley Todd – 9 kills, 5 blocks (1 match)
Erin Little – 5 kills, 5 blocks (1 match)
Scouting the Huskies
Connecticut is 10-9 on the season and 3-1 in BIG EAST play entering the week, having won four of its last five matches. The Huskies will host Marquette on Friday, Oct. 9 before entertaining the Orange on Sunday, Oct. 11. Last weekend, UConn rallied back from a two-set deficit at South Florida to defeat the Bulls, 3-2 on Friday before sweeping Georgetown on the road, 3-0, on Sunday.
“Historically the UConn match has been one of the most exciting matches of each season,” LaMarche said. “I don't expect this year to be any different. It is always tough playing on Connecticut's court so the girls need to expect a long battle. We will need to be mentally tough and prepared for the unexpected.”
Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Kirk leads the Huskies offensively with 195 kills while junior middle hitter Rebecca Murray is close behind with 191. Sophomore setter Samantha Arriaran directs the UConn attack in a 5-1 formation, tallying 668 assists on the season to average 8.68 helpers per game.
Defensive specialist Jessica Isaac is the senior leader for Connecticut and sets the standard in the back row with a team-best 296 digs on the season. Blocking has been the Huskies main weakness on the season, as they average 1.85 blocks per game compared to opponents 2.46. Murray's 64 total blocks is a team-best mark.
Orange Volleyball News and Notes
Strong Start
Syracuse's 13-5 overall record marks the best season start for SU since 2004. The 2004 Orange volleyball squad opened with an identical, 13-5, mark through its first 18 matches and finished the season at 25-7 overall and 8-2 in the BIG EAST.
Home Court Advantage
The 6-0 mark at home is also the best start since 2003, when the Orange opened with a 7-0 mark at home. Syracuse began both the 2000 and 2002 seasons at 6-0 at home, went 7-0 at home in 1995 and 8-0 in 1994. SU was last undefeated at home in 1989, when it went 14-0.
Morton Continues to Roll in the Honors …
Senior middle blocker Sarah Morton was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Oct. 5 for the fourth time this season for her performances against Rutgers and Seton Hall over the weekend. The co-captain posted 22 kills with only seven errors through seven sets while tallying 11 total rejections, leading SU to a 2-0 BIG EAST weekend.
Morton is the national leader in total blocks with 104 and ranks sixth among NCAA Division I student-athletes with a 1.51 blocks per game average. She also sets the standard for the Orange offense, with a team-best 211 kills on the season.
With her fourth weekly honor roll selection in the past six weeks (Aug. 31, Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct. 5) only one BIG EAST student-athlete, Cincinnati's Stephanie Niemer, has garnered conference honor roll selection more times than Morton this season. The Burnt Hills, N.Y. native has been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll six times in her career.
…And Take Down Records
With her eight solo blocks over the weekend Morton matched the school record for career solo blocks (193) set by Jessica Paarlberg who played for the Orange from 1988-91. A testament to Morton's defensive dominance at the net, no Syracuse student-athlete has come close to Paarlberg's record in the past 18 years, with 100 solo blocks being the next closest mark.
Already the career leader in blocks per set (1.31), Morton is also 15 total blocks away from topping the SU career ledger. She currently has 572 career rejections, closing in on the record 587, also currently held by Paarlberg.
Pu Closing in on 300th SU Win
Head coach Jing Pu is rapidly approaching his 300th win as Syracuse head coach, currently holding a 295-192 record in his 15 seasons in Orange.
MacTavish Also Climbing Career Charts
Senior outside hitter Kacie MacTavish currently ranks on six career charts. Entering Tuesday's match she ranks eighth in kills (1,148), 10th in kills per set (3.00), sixth in attacks (3,531), third in attacks per set (9.22), eighth in digs (1,089), fifth in digs per set (2.84).
Syracuse Ranks Nationally
Nationally, Syracuse is one of the best blocking teams in Division I, ranking 15th with 2.79 blocks per game. The Orange is also ranked 60th nationally with a .240 team hitting percentage and 54th with a .722 match winning percentage.
In addition to leading the nation with 104 total blocks and ranking sixth with 1.51 blocks per set, Morton also comes in at 43rd nationally with 4.53 points per set.
Orange in the BIG EAST
Syracuse is ranked among the top five BIG EAST teams in five statistical categories. The Orange ranks fourth with a .240 hitting percentage, third with 2.79 blocks per game, third with 14.83 digs per game, second in opponent hitting percentage at .165 and fifth with 12.51 kills per game.
Individually, freshman setter Laura Homann ranks sixth in conference, averaging 9.97 assists per game while senior Shanetha McLaurin ranks eighth with 3.88 digs per game. Sarah Morton ranks in three categories, coming in at second with 1.51 blocks per game, ranking fifth with 4.53 points per game and seventh with 25 service aces.
In BIG EAST matches, Annabelle Pellerin ranks sixth in conference with a .339 hitting percentage while MacTavish's 3.33 kills per game rank 10th. Homann is fifth among conference setters with a 10.92 assists per game average while McLaurin and Noemie Lefebvre are ranked ninth (3.85) and tenth (3.73), respectively, in digs per game. Morton's 4.77 points per game in conference play ranks fourth while her eight service aces rank third.
BIG EAST Best
Morton's six service aces against West Virginia on Sept. 26 is the best serving performance by a BIG EAST student-athlete this season.
Syracuse is also the only team in conference to record a hitting percentage above .400 this season, hitting .402 (59-10-122) at Rhode Island (Sept. 12).
The Orange has also recorded the best blocking performance of the season in conference matches, totaling 15.0 team rejections against Seton Hall (Oct. 4).
Versatility a Key in SU Lineup
A deep and experienced bench allows head coach Jing Pu to utilize many different lineups in game situations.
“All of our players are now ready to step on the court and play,” Pu said after Sunday's match against Seton Hall. “Our freshmen have begun to step in and contribute, which gives us three or more different options for the lineup.”
Junior middle blocker Hayley Todd has stepped in at outside hitter at various times, leading the Orange from the outside against Cornell with 10 kills.
Junior outside hitter Noemie Lefebvre has also filled the role of libero for the Orange at various times this season, posting 34 digs as a back row specialist through three matches at the Rhode Island Tournament.
Hinz Sparks Orange against Seton Hall
Freshman middle blocker Samantha Hinz was a standout performer in her her return from injury on Sunday, posting a career-high seven kills, 14 attacks and seven total blocks against the Pirates. Hinz stepped in at middle, freeing up Todd to hit from the outside which provided the Orange with the spark it need to defeat Seton Hall, 3-1, and remain undefeated on its home court.
Dig for the Cure
Saturday's match against St. John's will be a “Dig for the Cure” event to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and research. Fans will have the option to sign up to make a contribution per dig with all proceeds benefitting the local Making Strides against Breast Cancer Foundation.
From Orange to Red
St. John's head coach Joanne Persico played volleyball for Syracuse from 1984-1986, earning back-to-back CoSida Academic All-District I honors in 1985 and 1986, while capturing the programs first MVP award following her senior season. Persico began her tenure with the Red Storm in 1998, and currently holds a 322-184 career record, entering the week.
