SU drops to No. 14 in AVCA rankings after ending season with .500 record

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Syracuse fell to No. 14 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s rankings on Wednesday, dropping two spots from last week despite wins against Boston College in its last two matches of the fall season. 

The Orange ended a four-game losing streak with straight-set wins in a double header against Boston College on Oct. 16 and 17. While these were the Orange’s last games this fall, conferences such as the Big 12 are continuing play into November, explaining SU’s drop in the rankings. 

SU is the fifth Atlantic Coast Conference team in the top 15, joining Notre Dame, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, which all placed higher than the Orange. Syracuse is 2-4 versus ranked teams, having lost both games against both the Cardinals and the Irish. ACC play was split into three groups this fall, so SU never faced off against teams like Georgia Tech.  

Syracuse also finished .500 in conference play last season. The Orange are expected to play against the remainder of the ACC teams in the spring, although a schedule hasn’t been released yet. The NCAA also approved a plan to move many fall championships for Olympic sports, including volleyball, to the spring.