SU Aims To Even ACC Record At Home

WEEKEND PREVIEW:GEORGIA TECH & CLEMSON
Game Details	Friday, Oct. 25 - vs. Georgia Tech - 7 p.m. \| Carrier Dome Sunday, Oct. 27 - vs. Clemson - 1 p.m. \| Women's Buidling
Game Coverage	Twitter: @Cuse \| @CuseVolleyball \| Facebook: Syracuse Volleyball
#SUVB Links	Match Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Live Stats \| Season Statistics \| Media Guide
Opponent Links	Georgia Tech: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Match Notes \| @GTVolleyball Clemson: Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Match Notes \| @ClemsonVB

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After going 3-1 on their first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) road trip, the Syracuse volleyball team will look to extend its two-match winning streak and even its conference record with home matches against Georgia Tech on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. and Clemson on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. The contest against the Yellow Jackets will be Syracuse's third match inside the Carrier Dome this season.

HOME TO THE DOME:
After playing a pair of matches in the Dome for the first time in program history last season, the Orange are set to host four matches in the venue this year. The ACC opening weekend welcomed nationally-ranked Florida State and Miami to the Dome on Sept.. 28 and 29. All-time SU is 1-3 at the Carrier Dome.

*Admission to both matches is free of charge and fans can enter through Gates A, B or C. Parking is also free and will be available in the lots near the Dome.

LAST WEEK:
After knocking off Maryland in three tough sets to begin the weekend, head coach Leonid Yelin claimed career victory number 500 following a 3-1 win at Pittsburgh. Overall, the team has won three of their past four matches. With the match tied at 1-1 against the Panthers, SU rallied from eight points down to win the third set and held off set point for the Panthers in the fourth to claim the victory. Syracuse more than doubled Pitt in team blocks (15.0-7.0) and outhit the Panthers .313 to .191.

Sophomore Silvi Uattara posted double-doubles in both matches and now has three straight dating back to the contest at Virginia. Against Pitt, she matched season highs of 18 kills and 12 digs while adding three service aces and five blocks. Sophomoree Monika Salkute had a solid weekend with 15 blocks, including a season-best eight at Pittsburgh. For the two matches, she averaged 2.13 blocks per set.

Freshman Erica Handley passed out 40 assists and added seven digs against Maryland. The 40 digs were the most by an Orange women in a three-set match since April Quigley's 42 at St. John's on Nov. 3, 2007. Junior Melina Violas has also come on strong as of late, leading the SU defense in digs for five straight outings while averaging 4.00 digs per set over the weekend.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets (7-13, 1-7 ACC) are currently on a five-game losing streak, with the last four by straight sets, which includes a loss to then-ranked No. 24 Duke. Georgia Tech's last win came at home against No. 18 Florida State in four sets, marking the Seminoles only loss in conference play this season. Jennifer Percy leads the squad with 221 kills and 3.20 kills per set. Quinn Evans is next in line with 132 kills and tops the team with a .309 hitting percentage. Evans also ranks first on the team with 74 blocks and is ranked 13th in the ACC at 1.10 blocks per set.

Clemson: After three wins in a row, a tough loss to Duke left the Tigers sitting at 4-4 in the conference and 10-9 overall. Clemson swept the conference's weekly awards on Oct. 14 with Mo Simmons earning Player of the Week and Leah Perri taking Freshman of the Week honors. Simmons, who has recorded double-doubles in eight straight matches, leads the conference and ranks ninth nationally with 4.64 kills per set. She is also second on the squad with 2.79 digs per set. Perri is second on the Tigers with a 2.25 kills per set average and .288 hitting percentage. Coming in at second in the conference and 33rd nationally in blocks is Beta Dumancic (1.32/set).

BUILDING BLOCKS:
Lindsay McCabe's 88 total blocks and 78 block assists in 2013 has propelled her into the program's top-10 all-time list for both categories. She sits eighth all-time with 379 career blocks and moved up to sixth over the weekend with 322 career block assists. The 379 career blocks are also 24th among active Division I players in a career. For the season, the redshirt junior is averaging 1.22 blocks per set, which ranks 60th in the nation and seventh-best in the ACC. In conference-play, McCabe's 1.43 blocks per set is second among individuals and a career-best 12 blocks at Virginia is the third highest output of the season by an ACC player this season.

T.G.I. FRIDAY:
Of Syracuse's eight wins this season, five of them have come on Friday's, setting the Orange up for success to begin each weekend. Despite a 5-4 overall record on Friday's, three of those have come at the hands of ranked teams, leaving Syracuse 5-1 against non-ranked opponents to start the weekend.

SERIES HISTORY:
This will be the first trip to Syracuse for both Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Syracuse and Georgia Tech have only met once back in 1989. The Orange swept the Yellow Jackets in straight sets on a neutral court.

SU and Clemson have met twice, the first in 1990 and the last encounter in 2008. Syracuse won the first matchup in straight sets as part of the South Florida Showcase in Tampa, Fla. In the most recent meeting, The Tigers earned a straight set victory at home against the Orange to tie the all-time series at 1-1.

UP NEXT:
The Orange will head back on the road for matches against No. 19 Duke on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. and Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Syracuse University Athletics

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