Levert Shines at the Net in 3-0 Victory

Sunday, November 15

Winston-Salem, NC

1:00 PM

Syracuse University

20-7, 11-5ACC

Wake Forest

12-16, 4-12ACC

Syracuse

Wake Forest

11/15/2015 3:22:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Syracuse volleyball team picked up its 20th win of the 2015 season in dominating fashion, handing Wake Forest a 3-0 loss (25-16, 25-16, 25-13) on Sunday in Reynolds Gymnasium. With the win, the Orange hold its best record since the 2010 season, improving to 20-7 and 11-5 in ACC play.

Sophomore Leah Levert was a force to be reckoned with at the net, knocking down a match-high 12 kills and posting a new career-high 11 blocks. The middle blocker concluded the afternoon with an astonishing .857 hitting percentage, completing her 12 kills off of 14 attempts.

Levert's hitting percentage helped the Orange secure a season-high .462 overall percentage, while her blocking aided Syracuse in holding Wake to a .040 hitting percentage, forcing 26 Demon Deacon attacking errors.

Syracuse continued to prove why they're the best blocking team in the country, racking up 16 total team blocks to Wake Forest's one block.

Senior setter Gosia Wlaszczuk powered the Orange offense with 26 assists in the three sets while adding eight digs and three blocks. Senior outside hitter Nicolette Serratore led the Syracuse back row with 14 digs.

The Orange jumped out to 9-4 lead to kick off the match, forcing a Wake Forest timeout following a block by Ebangwese and Uattara. Succeeding the timeout, Syracuse gained momentum off of multiple Wake unforced errors to complete a 10-0 run at the 14-4 mark. Two more voluntary errors on the Deacon's end landed the Orange a 19-8 lead, resulting in another Wake timeout.

The Demon Deacons attempted a comeback following the timeout, going on a 6-1 run to cut the Orange lead down to six, 20-14. The Wake Forest comeback attempt was cut short, as Syracuse finished the set with alternating blocks and kills to come out on top, 25-16.

After exchanging points to begin the second set, Syracuse responded with five unanswered points to create comfortable lead for the Orange, 11-5. With the Orange up 16-9, the Demon Deacons took off on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit down to two, 18-16.

The run would be the final attempt for Wake Forest, however, as Syracuse fired out seven unanswered points, with a kill by Wlaszczuk sealing a 25-16 win to put the Orange at a two-set advantage.

Tied at six to begin the third set, the Orange launched a four-point run thanks to two kills by Levert and a kill by Serratore, instigating at Deacon timeout at the 10-7 mark. Following the timeout, Syracuse took charge mid-set, dishing out nine unanswered points and six kills off of the hands of Serratore, Uattara, Levert, and senior Monika Salkute, 21-8. Two more kills by freshman Anastasiya Gorelina and Salkute finalized a commanding 25-13 victory and 3-0 sweep for the Orange.

Syracuse travels to Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh next weekend in the team's final road trip of the season. The Orange take on the Hokies on Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. and the Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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