Orange Hold Off Wyoming In Five-Set, 3-2, Victory

Friday, September 14

Ames, IA

4:30 pm

Syracuse University

3-3

University of Wyoming

8-3

Syracuse

Wyoming

Orange Hold Off Wyoming In Five-Set, 3-2, Victory

9/14/2018 7:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

AMES, Iowa – Freshman Polina Shemanova recorded a team-high 20 kills for the third consecutive match to help the Syracuse volleyball team hold off RV Wyoming, 3-2, Friday evening at the Cyclone Classic.

Syracuse handed Wyoming only their third loss of the season and held them to their second-lowest hitting percentage of the season. The Orange won with set scores of 25-18, 25-22, 29-31, 18-25 and 15-13.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After giving up a pair of points to open the first set, Syracuse fired back on a 10-2 run. The Orange's run gave them a 10-4 lead that they would not relinquish to the Cowgirls.

Wyoming tried to control the action early with a 4-1 lead in the second set before the Orange began to chip away. Three straight attack errors for the Cowgirls allowed Syracuse to tie the set 9-9 before a service ace by Ella Saada gave Syracuse their first lead, 10-9, of the second set. Both teams kept it close entering a timeout at 15-15. Following a second timeout, Syracuse put up three straight points for an 18-17 lead before ending the set on a 5-0 run.

In a third set that featured 14 ties and six lead changes, both teams opened back-and-forth until the Cowgirls put up five straight points and took a 14-11 lead. The Orange were down 22-18 before recording four unanswered points that tied the match at 22. The two teams continued to answer each other pushing the set to 31-29 as Wyoming took their first set victory of the match.

Wyoming carried its momentum into the fourth set with a quick 3-0 lead. Syracuse stayed close at 13-10 but multiple strings of scoring by the Cowgirls kept the Orange from gaining any ground.

Both teams opened the fifth set 2-2 as neither team was able to break away. After 10 ties, the Orange were able to take advantage of back-to-back Wyoming errors before Santita Ebangwese notched the match-winning kill.

OF NOTE
Saada and Ebangwese joined Shemanova in double-digit kills as the pair added 16 and 10, respectively. Freshman Elena Karakasi dished out a career-high 39 assists while adding 11 digs for her first career double-double.

UP NEXT
Syracuse continues play at the Cyclone Classic against Iowa Saturday at 8 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend Sunday against host, Iowa State. Sunday's 1 p.m. matchup will be broadcast live on ESPNU.