Orange Top Harvard, 3-1, Sweep Weekend in Boston

Saturday, September 21

Cambridge, MA

2 pm

Syracuse University

3-4, 0-0ACC

Harvard

2-7, 0-0Ivy

Syracuse

Harvard

Orange Top Harvard, 3-1, Sweep Weekend in Boston

9/21/2019 6:51:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

BOSTON, MASS. – Syracuse volleyball (3-4) capped off a successful weekend in Boston, topping Harvard, 3-1, Saturday afternoon. The Orange won the first two sets, 25-23, and secured the match in the fourth set, 25-17. This was the final match of Syracuse's non-conference slate as they are set to begin Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play next weekend on the road at Georgia Tech and Clemson.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Orange fell behind early in the first set, finding themselves on the wrong side of a 7-3 score. Kills from Polina Shemanova and Marina Markova fueled the comeback for Syracuse and a service ace from freshman Lauren Woodford evened the score at 12. The Crimson took a late 17-14 lead, but Ella Saada and Shemanova each responded with kills and the Orange went on to take the opening set, 25-23, and a 1-0 lead in the match. Shemanova tallied eight kills in set one and a team-leading 21 kills on the day with a season-high .405 hitting percentage.

After falling behind 2-0 to begin the second set, Syracuse put together a 4-0 run and never trailed again. Harvard would tie the score at nine, and then again at 18, but ultimately the Orange took the set, 25-23, and a 2-0 advantage in the match. Six different players for Syracuse registered kills in the second frame (Shemanova, Saada, Markova, Yuliia Yastrub, Elena Karakasi, Abby Casiano) while Yastrub and Markova each had a service ace. Yastrub led the Orange with three service aces in the match, tying her career-high.

Syracuse stumbled in the third set, losing 25-12. The Orange fell behind early, 11-6, and were never able to recover, allowing the Crimson to cut the lead to 2-1. Junior Dana Gardner and freshman Berkley Hayes contributed kills for Syracuse in the set.

The Orange regained their composure in the fourth, jumping out to an early 7-3 lead thanks to kills from Markova and Shemanova, as well as an ace from Hayes. Two consecutive aces from Yastrub extended the Syracuse lead to 16-9 and a kill from Saada sealed the victory for the Orange, 25-17.

NOTEWORTHY
This was only the second meeting between Syracuse and Harvard in the history of the programs. The Orange are now 2-0 against the Crimson.

Shemanova's .405 hitting percentage was the second highest of her career. She posted a .500 hitting percentage on Nov. 11, 2018 at Georgia Tech.

WHAT'S NEXT
Syracuse begins ACC play Friday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. at Georgia Tech and then travels to Clemson, S.C. to take on the Tigers Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m.

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