'Cuse Comes Up Short Against Pitt, 3-1

Friday, October 9

Syracuse, NY

7:00 PM

Syracuse University

12-4

Pittsburgh

13-4

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

10/9/2015 10:16:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse volleyball team fell to ACC rival Pittsburgh on Friday at the Women's Building in Syracuse, N.Y. The Orange are now 12-4 on the season and 3-2 in conference play.

The Orange started the night off strong, downing the Panthers in the first set, 25-16. The loss in the opening set wasn't enough to hold Pittsburgh down, as the Panthers rallied to win the next three sets 25-20, 25-20, and 25-21.

"On behalf of the staff and players, I can say we are disappointed because we felt we could do better," Head Coach Leonid Yelin said. "Unfortunately, there were not enough players who stayed focused during the game and did what they were supposed to do. It takes at least six players, and unfortunately we didn't have six players all the time sticking to the game plan. It's disappointing, but I love this team and we're learning how to be better."

Senior Silvi Uattara led the Orange with 12 kills on the night, while freshman Santita Ebangwese powered 10 kills off of 14 attempts, posting a personal-best .714 attack percentage. Senior Gosia Wlaszczuk fueled the Syracuse offense, assisting on 40 of the 43 total kills.

Sophomore Belle Sand led the Syracuse back row, tallying 13 digs on the evening. Sophomore Leah Levert made her presence known at the net, leading the squad with five total blocks.

Pitt jumped out to a 5-3 lead to start the match, but Syracuse rallied six straight points to grab a 9-5 lead, forcing a Panther timeout. The two teams proceeded to trade points into the middle of the set, with Pittsburgh narrowing the gap to three points before a Syracuse timeout at the 15-12 mark. Consequently, the Orange claimed five of the next six points, led with two kills from Ebangwese. After a Pittsburgh timeout, Ebangwese hammered down another kill, extending the Syracuse lead to eight at the 21-13 mark. A hitting error by the Panthers ultimately determined the first set, as the Orange cruised to a 25-16 victory.

The second set started off similar to the first, with Pittsburgh jumping out to an initial 2-0 lead. Syracuse bounced back, tallying four straight points with kills from Uattara and Wlaszczuk. After trailing 5-3, the Panthers proceeded to go on a 12-6 run to take the lead over the Orange, 15-11. The teams began to exchange points well into the closing points of the set, with the Orange up 20-19 heading into the final five points. A timeout called by Pitt changed the momentum of the game, as the Panthers took five of the final six points in the set, defeating the Orange 25-20.

The Panthers once again claimed the lead in the early stages of the third set, starting off with a 7-5 lead. Going on a 6-3 run, Pitt extended its lead to 13-8, forcing a Syracuse timeout. The Orange fought to close the gap, but the Panthers continued to stretch the lead, racking up an eight-point lead at the 20-12 mark. After another timeout by the Orange, Uattara recorded two more kills, leading Syracuse on a 4-2 run to lessen the gap, 22-16. Two consecutive kills from Levert brought 'Cuse within four, 23-19. A timeout called by Pittsburgh halted the momentum shift, as the Panthers put away the final two points of the game to take the third set, 25-20.

After trailing from behind 6-3 in the fourth set, two back-to-back aces by Sand and two kills by Nicolette Serratore helped the Orange pick up five of the next seven points, tying the game at eight. Pittsburgh and Syracuse began to trade points, with neither team extending its lead past one point, knotting the score at the 17-point mark. An ace from Serratore helped the Orange jump to a 19-17 lead, forcing a Pitt timeout. The timeout by the Panthers seemed to do the trick, as Pitt finished the set on an 8-2 run, defeating the Orange in the final set 25-21 and tallying the win on the evening.

Syracuse returns home on Sunday, matching up against Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. in the Women's Building. Admission is free.

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