Syracuse breaks 3-game losing streak, defeats North Carolina in 5 sets
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Alyssa Bert bounced the ball against the hardwood as she prepared to send it toward the other side of the floor. Bert lifted the ball into the air, firing a laser toward the back line. Maddy May, who attempted a dig, struggled to handle the serve as the ball deflected off of her and out of play.
The ace for Bert gave Syracuse a match point opportunity, and a service error by May two points later gave Syracuse (9-9, 5-3 ACC) its first win in two weeks, defeating North Carolina (11-8, 3-5 ACC) in five sets. The Orange went back-and-forth with the Tar Heels, but came out on top, snapping a three-game losing streak, during which they hadn’t won a set.
Polina Shemanova recorded 20-plus kills in a match for the fourth time this season, finishing with 21. Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk (16) and Naomi Franco (14) both recorded double-digit kills to give the SU offense a boost. North Carolina had three players hit double-digit kills too, Mabrey Shafmaster (17), Charley Niego (13) and Kayla Merkler (10).
The Tar Heels dominated the first set, getting off to a quick 3-0 start and never looked back from there. North Carolina never trailed in the set, using a stretch in which it scored nine of 11 points to its advantage. Syracuse attempted a late push, but Niego finished off the set with a kill to give UNC a 25-19 set win.
After not getting any rhythm in the opening set, Syracuse responded in the next two. The second set was back-and-forth, with the teams being knotted up at 17 before a kill from Bre Walp gave Syracuse a lead they didn’t give up for the remainder of the set. Walp’s kill was part of a key 4-0 run from Syracuse, as it went on to win the set 25-21.
Syracuse used the momentum it gained in the second to its advantage in the third set. Syracuse scored four straight points to give them a 15-11 lead, but UNC responded, getting the lead down to one. Raina Hughes recorded her fourth block of the game to give SU an 18-16 lead. The redshirt freshman finished with seven in the game to add to her team leading total of 70. SU scored the final seven points of the set to give them a 25-17 win.
The Tar Heels dominated the fourth set, winning 25-17. UNC scored the first four points of the set and never trailed, forcing a fifth and final set in Chapel Hill.
Despite missing an opportunity to put the game away, Syracuse didn’t blink in the final set, setting the tone right from the start. A kill from Shemanova started a Syracuse run. The Orange scored eight of the nine points, giving them a 10-3 lead. SU kept its foot on the gas, winning the set 15-7 for their fifth ACC win, one shy of their total from last season.
The win was the fifth time SU has gone to five sets this season after only having four such games last season. The Orange are 4-1 in games that go the distance with wins over Wofford, Boston College and Wake Forest with the one lone loss coming against Bryant.
