SU Rallies For Five Set Win At BC

Sunday, November 10

Chestnut Hill, MA

4 p.m.

Syracuse University

13-13, 8-6ACC

Boston College

8-18, 0-14ACC

Syracuse

Boston College

SU now owns a 21-6 all-time record against Boston College

11/10/2013 7:56:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score | Season Statistics

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Trailing 14-10 in the fifth and deciding set, the Syracuse volleyball team fended off match point five times and earned a five set victory at Boston College in an Atlantic Coast Conference match on Sunday, Nov. 10 at Power Gym.

"I think a couple of players played really well," said head Coach Leonid Yelin. "Mel (Melina Violas) and Monika (Salkute) and Lindsay (McCabe) played well. Those three played consistently well throughout the match. The reason we won is because those three played the whole match really well.

With SU up 10-9 in the fifth set, the Eagles reeled off five straight points to get to match point at 14-10. The Orange responded with the next five points for match point, but BC scored on the next two and regained the lead at 16-15 for its fifth match point of the set. Back-to-back attack errors, the last a block by sophomores Gosia Wlaszczuk and Monika Salkute sealed the 18-16 fifth-set victory and gave Syracuse the match.

It was the Orange's third straight triumph and eighth win in its last 10 matches, all coming in ACC play. Syracuse (13-13, 8-6 ACC) evened its record for the first time this season. Boston College (8-18, 0-14 ACC) has lost 16 consecutive matches.

Sophomore Silvi Uattara finished with a team-best 14 kills and Salkute and junior Nicolette Serratore each chipped in with 11 kills. Salkute, who matched a career-high in kills set last season at Rutgers, also had seven total blocks (one solo). Serratore posted her seventh double-double of the season, adding a team-high 14 digs.

Redshirt junior Lindsay McCabe notched a season-high nine kills for a career-best .692 hitting percentage to go with five blocks. Freshman Erica Handley matched personal-bests with five kills and four block assists while tallying 48 assists and six digs. With 14 digs, Violas extended her streak to 10 matches in a row with double-digit digs.

Boston College scored the first three points of the opening set and nine of the first 12 to take an early 9-3 lead and never looked back. With the Eagles hanging onto a 15-8 advantage, Syracuse went on a 5-0 run to close the gap to 15-13. However, BC responded with 10 of the last 13 points to win the opening set 25-16 behind a .462 hitting percentage.

In a tightly contested second set, neither team led by more than two points until a 5-1 run by the Orange broke a 14-14 tie and put SU in front 20-15. The Eagles wouldn't back down, scoring four straight to get within 20-19. Syracuse answered back with four consecutive points of their own behind a pair of blocks from Salkute to get to set point. Two plays later, a service error by BC's Katty Workman gave the Orange the set, 25-20.

With the third set even at 7-7, the Orange used a 10-2 run to take control for a 17-9 lead. After the Orange extended the lead to 19-10, BC scored four in a row to cut its deficit to 19-14. Syracuse grabbed its largest lead of the set at 24-16 following a three point spurt, and won it on a kill from Uattara. The Orange continued to build on its hitting efficiency from the first two sets, firing a .419 attack percentage in the third.

Trailing 4-2 to start the fourth set, the Eagles recorded 10 of the next 13 points to take a 12-7 lead and stayed on top the rest of the way. SU closed the gap to 14-11, but BC scored four straight to go up 18-11. The Eagles went on to grab its largest lead at 22-16 before the Orange rattled off three straight to pull within 23-19. A kill from Kellie Barnum closed out the set for Boston College.

SU overcame 71 kills and a strong first set by the Eagles. Syracuse edged out BC in hitting percentage .287 to .256. Over the final four sets it was .303 to .218 in favor of SU. The Orange also dominated at the net, with 13.0 blocks.

Workman led the Eagles with 22 kills and Melissa McTighe contributed 15 kills for a .444 hitting percentage. Kellie Barnum dished out 59 assists and Madisen Lydon had a match-high 24 digs.

Syracuse will return to campus for its final home weekend of the season on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. against Pittsburgh, followed by a match with Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. Seniors Samantha Clarey and Amanda Kullman will both be honored over the weekend.