Syracuse Sweeps Le Moyne to Finish Salt City Classic Undefeated

Sunday, August 31

Syracuse, NY

2:00 PM

Syracuse University

3-0,0-0ACC

Le Moyne

1-2,0-0NEC

Le Moyne

Syracuse

Syracuse Sweeps Le Moyne to Finish Salt City Classic Undefeated

8/31/2025 5:36:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University Volleyball program wrapped up the Salt City Classic on Sunday, taking on the Le Moyne Dolphins in a battle between a couple of teams from Syracuse. Syracuse was firing on all cylinders on Sunday, holding the Dolphins to nine points or less in two of the three sets in a 3-0 sweep of Le Moyne.

For the third consecutive match, Gabby McLaughlin led the Orange in kills with 13 on 24 total attempts. Soana Lea'ea posted nine kills in the win, with a team-best .571 hitting percentage. The offense once again ran through Tehya Maeva, as she assisted on 32 kills.

Oreva Evivie made her Orange debut on Sunday and made her presence felt at the net, racking up six block assists. Sydnie Waller teamed up with Evivie on a number of those blocks, as she finished with five block assists of her own.

As a collective, the Orange racked up 10 aces from six different players – four of which had two. Syracuse posted a .341 hitting percentage, while holding the Dolphins to a -.049 hitting percentage.

Following the match against Le Moyne, McLaughlin was named the Salt City Classic MVP after she posted 42 kills over three matches. Lea'ea was named to the All-Tournament Team after recording 20 kills on 42 attempts to go with six blocks on defense. Zharia Harris-Waddy joined her on the All-Tournament Team after she led the Orange with 11 blocks to go along with her 20 kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dolphins claimed the first point of the match. That would be the only lead Le Moyne would have in any set on Sunday. The Orange proceeded to run out to a 12-4 lead, spearheaded by Lea'ea posting three kills along with a strong string of serves from Rana Yamada. The Orange would go on to claim 13 of the next 18 points, winning the opening set, 25-9.

While the Orange never surrendered a lead in the second set, the Dolphins were able to hang around. The Orange led 21-18, needing a run to thwart the Dolphins' second-set surge. Syracuse got just that, with Rana Yamada controlling serve for each of the final four points. Yamada earned an ace for the 24^th point before Lea'ea wrapped up the set with a kill.

The Orange wasted no time getting things wrapped up, dominating in the third and final set. Senior Piper Willinger made her first appearance of the season, controlling serve on eight consecutive points for the Orange to open up a sizable 23-7 lead. Just a few moments later, McLaughlin went on to record an ace for the match-clinching point. The eight-point run led by Willinger was the longest scoring run of the Orange's young season.

The win marks the third-consecutive win for the Orange to start the season and the 16^th straight non-conference win, dating back to the 2023 season.

NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Gabby McLaughlin led the Orange in kills for the third straight match, posting 13 on Sunday. Her 42 kills over three matches earned her the Salt City Classic MVP distinction.
Soana Lea'ea was a force in the middle for the Orange, racking up nine kills on 14 attempts for a team-best .571 hitting percentage.
Skylar George notched nine kills to go along with two aces on the afternoon.
Six different members of the Orange recorded an ace, with four different players picking up two.
The Orange posted a .341 hitting percentage in the win.
Syracuse held Le Moyne to a -.049 hitting percentage, as the Dolphins were able to muster just 17 kills on 81 attempts across three sets.
Syracuse's eight-point run in the third set was their longest run of the season, so far.

SALT CITY CLASSIC RECOGNITION
ALL TOURNAMENT:
Niagara - Janiah Robinson
Le Moyne - Denali Louden
Rider - Makenna Mason
Rider - Keegan O'Connor
Syracuse - Zharia Harris-Waddy
Syracuse - Soana Lea'ea

MVP: Gabriella McLaughlin

UP NEXT
The Orange will head east this week as they get set to participate in the UAlbany Invitational. They'll meet with the hosts, UAlbany, on Thursday before they take on Canisius on Friday and Cornell on Saturday.

For the latest news on the Syracuse volleyball program, follow /CuseVB on Facebook, @CuseVB on Instagram, and @CuseVB on X/Twitter.