'Cuse Downs Pitt in Four Sets

Sunday, November 22

Pittsburgh, PA

1:00 PM

Syracuse University

21-8, 12-6ACC

Pittsburgh

22-8, 12-6ACC

Syracuse

Pittsburgh

11/22/2015 4:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Syracuse volleyball team defeated ACC rival Pittsburgh in four sets (25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26) on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House. The Orange win snapped a perfect home season for the Panthers, as Pitt was 12-0 on its home court heading into the last week of regular season play. Syracuse improves to 21-8 overall and 12-6 in the ACC.

Senior Silvi Uattara posted a season-high 26 kills in the four sets, tying her for third in the Syracuse record books for kills in a single match. The outside hitter was two kills shy of breaking her own record of 28 kills, obtained last season against Illinois-Chicago. She also finished the day with 11 digs and a match-high seven blocks.

Senior setter Gosia Wlaszczuk paced the hitters in the win, racking up 32 assists. Senior outside hitter Nicolette Serratore accumulated 13 kills and a match-high 15 digs, marking her 15th double-double of the season.

The tandem of freshman Santita Ebangwese and sophomore Leah Levert made their presence known at the net, recording six and five total blocks, respectively.

The Orange came firing on all cylinders to start the match, jumping out to a 9-2 lead. A block by Ebangwese and senior Monika Salkute brought Syracuse an eight point advantage, 12-4, triggering a Pitt timeout.

Following the timeout, the Panthers came back on a 7-1 run, cutting the Orange lead down to two, 13-11. The Orange, however, didn't let the Panthers get too close, as a handful of Pitt unforced errors and a kill by Salkute put Syracuse up 20-13 heading into the final points of the set.

The Orange allowed a few more opportunities for the Panthers, but a kill by Uattara and a block by Ebangwese and Uattara finished the 25-19 victory for Syracuse in the opening set.

The two teams swapped points to begin the second set, before Pitt took off on a 7-1 run to put the Panthers up 15-8, forcing a Syracuse timeout. Four unanswered points on the Orange's end brought Syracuse within three of Pitt, 19-16, resulting in a Panther timeout.

An ace by sophomore libero Belle Sand and a kill by Uattara cut the Orange deficit down to two, 21-19, but a 5-1 run by Pitt in the final plays of the second set led to a 25-20 Panther victory, evening the match at 1-1.

Pitt started the third set off with a 6-2 lead and proceeded to lead Syracuse throughout the majority of the set, before kills by freshman Anastasiya Gorelina and Serratore put the Orange at its first advantage of the game, 19-18.

The two teams knotted it up a few more times before Syracuse took off on a 6-1 run to land a 25-21 victory off of a Pitt attack error and two kills from Levert and Serratore.

The beginning of the fourth set featured eight ties before the Orange responded with four unanswered points to establish a 14-11 advantage over the Panthers. Syracuse maintained a steady lead until subsequent kills from the Pitt side of the net knotted it up at the 21-point mark.

The battle began heading into the final points of the set, as the Panthers came back to tie it up from being down 24-22 with the Orange at game point. Pitt then placed itself in game-point position, but a kill by Uattara flattened the score once again at 25. The Panthers came within reach of the set, 26-25, but the Orange finished strong with three unanswered points thanks to kills from Serratore and Uattara to finalize a 28-26 victory for Syracuse.

Syracuse returns home for its final two games of the 2015 regular season, hosting Notre Dame on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Louisville on Friday at 1 p.m. Both games are free admission.

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