Syracuse Continues ACC Slate Against SMU and Pitt

The Syracuse volleyball team continues its 2026 ACC season facing off against SMU on Fri., Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. and Pitt on Sun., Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.

OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS

Sophomore Marie Laurio, graduate Abby Nicholson and sophomore Yuka Urano will serve as captains for the 2026 season.
The trio brings a mix of experience and talent to Syracuse, spanning multiple positions and backgrounds at the collegiate level.
Laurio enters her second season in Orange after a productive freshman season, after appearing in 23 matches and 49 sets.
Laurio posted 55 kills, 93 digs and 11 blocks a year ago as she continues to develop into a key contributor for the Orange.
Nicholson joins Syracuse this fall after transferring from Lafayette, where she made 37 starts as a middle blocker across three seasons.
Nicholson appeared in 43 matches and 98 sets, finishing her career at Lafayette with 177 kills, 36 digs and 133 total blocks.
Urano, a libero from Tokyo, Japan, joins the Orange after a standout 2025 season at Navarro College, where she was named Region XIV Libero of the Year.

ALL-TOURNAMENT ORANGE

Syracuse has earned multiple All-Tournament selections throughout the course of its non-conference schedule.
In the Cornell Invite, Yuka Urano was named Tournament MVP, tallying 38 digs through the three matches of the tournament.
Charis Burge and Abby Nicholson were named to the All-Tournament Team, Burge notched 97 assists in 11 sets throughout the tournament while Abby Nicholson earned 17 total blocks and 25 kills while in Ithaca.
In the Syracuse Invitational, Kiernan Stamey and Emma Williams were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Stamey notched 37 kills and 5.3 kills per set at the home tournament, hitting .302 against FDU and .364 against Buffalo while Emma Williams tallied 22 kills on .310 and .318 hitting in respective matches.

SCOUTING SMU

Suli Davis leads the Mustangs with 217 kills and 4.72 kills per set, ranking second in the ACC.
The Mustang offense is driven by setter Hannah Beauford, ranking fourth in the ACC with 477 assists and 10.37 assists per set to start the fall season.
SMU's defense is led by Juniors Victoria Harris, ranking sixth in the ACC with 165 digs, and Favor Anyanwu, second in the ACC with 68 total blocks.
Syracuse is looking to claim its first ever program victory over the Mustangs.

SCOUTING PITTSBURGH

Olivia Babcock leads the Pitt attack, ranking first in the ACC in kills per set (5.18) while hitting .360, ranking seventh in the conference.
The Panthers offense is facilitated by Izzy Starck, who ranks second in the ACC with 10.85 assists per set.
The Panthers ended last season with a 30-5 record (18-2 in the ACC).
The Orange are aiming for their first win over Pittsburgh since 2020.

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