Orange Cap Off Non-Conference Play with Gritty Five-Set Win over St. John’s

Saturday, September 20

Syracuse, NY

6:00 PM

Syracuse University

8-2,0-0ACC

St. John's

4-9,0-0Big East

St. John's (NY)

Syracuse

Orange Cap Off Non-Conference Play with Gritty Five-Set Win over St. John’s

9/20/2025 10:33:00 PM | Volleyball

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University Volleyball team (8-2, 0-0 ACC) wrapped up its non-conference slate on Saturday evening, taking on the St. John's Red Storm in the Syracuse Invitational. The Orange earned a win in a five-set thriller, giving them a boost of momentum to catapult them into ACC-play.

It was a gritty win for the Orange, battling back after dropping the opening set before they eventually fell behind, 2-1. Gabby McLaughlin led the way with a season-high 19 kills in the win. She also recorded 13 digs, marking her seventh double-double of the season. Her co-captain Tehya Maeva, racked up 45 assists in the win. Maeva was named the Syracuse Invitational MVP, while McLaughlin was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Soana Lea'ea put together another strong performance as well, seeing her land on the All-Tournament Team. The Orange dominated the service line, posting 13 aces to the Red Storm's five. 13 aces is tied for the fourth-most in a five-set match in program history. Reese Teves recorded three aces in back-to-back nights, leading the way for Syracuse once again.

The win sees the Orange wrap up non-conference play with an 8-2 record, including a 5-1 record at home.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Orange offense struggled to get things working in the early going, seeing the Red Storm jump out to an early 1-0 lead after taking the first set, 25-20. Syracuse had an answer, though, ripping off a convincing 25-17 set win. It was a group effort, with five different members of the Syracuse offense recording multiple kills.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team really able to pull away. The Orange eventually opened up a 22-20 lead, but the Red Storm rumbled to a 25-23 win in set three. Yet, once again, the Orange had an emphatic answer. Syracuse dominated its way to a 25-13 win in the fourth set, which included six aces from the Orange.

Heading to a tie-breaking fifth set, the Orange weren't going to let themselves get out to a slow start. They jumped to a 7-3 lead early and did the rest from there. McLaughlin would eventually finish off a set from Maeva for the match clinching point to seal the deal.

NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Gabby McLaughlin earned her seventh double-double on the year with a season-high 19 kills on a .302 hitting percentage to go with 13 digs.
Soana Lea'ea picked up 11 kills on her birthday, swinging for a .348 hitting percentage in the process.
Tehya Maeva racked up 45 assists in the win.
13 aces is tied for the fourth-most in a five-set match in program history.
The team swung for an impressive .269 hitting percentage in the win.
Skylar George eclipsed double-digit kills for the fifth time this season, posting 10.
The win sees the Orange wrap up non-conference play with an 8-2 record, including a 5-1 record at home.

SYRACUSE INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Tehya Maeva - Syracuse
Gabby McLaughlin - Syracuse
Soana Lea'ea - Syracuse
Doga Diraz - Siena
Rashanny Solano Smith - St. John's
Chloe Bell - St. John's
Branwyn Lupton - Le Moyne

UP NEXT
The Orange will now hit the road this coming weekend to get their ACC schedule underway. They'll start with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday evening before getting set for a tilt with #3 Louisville on Sunday.
For the latest news on the Syracuse volleyball program, follow /CuseVB on Facebook, @CuseVB on Instagram, and @CuseVB on X/Twitter.