Syracuse’s offense stalls in straight-set loss to Florida State
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Coming off a 3-2 win over Duke on Sunday, Syracuse looked to take the first game in its two-game series against Florida State. But the Orange fell short Thursday in a three-set loss to the Seminoles.
In the first set, Syracuse strung together three multi-point runs behind two kills each from middle blocker Abby Casiano and outside hitter Ella Saada. But after tying the set at 10 points on a kill from outside hitter Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk, the Seminoles exploded with a 5-0 run behind two kills from outside hitter Jasmyn Martin. Florida State used two 3-0 runs to win the first set 25-16, as the Orange failed to regain momentum.
Syracuse (7-8, 7-8 Atlantic Coast) entered the match aiming to conclude the spring season with a winning record — a split series would tie the record, and two wins would pull the Orange above .500. The Seminoles (13-5, 9-5) looked to string a couple of wins together after going 1-1 against Pittsburgh and North Carolina last weekend. But Florida State dominated Syracuse in three straight sets to keep their eight-game winning streak at home alive this season.
The Seminoles’ commanding attack carried over into the second set. Syracuse and FSU went back and forth with the lead early in the second set, but FSU took off for a 3-0 run after notching two kills and capitalizing on a Lokhmanchuk attack error to take a 10-8 lead. Florida State’s offensive front erupted, stringing together three 4-point runs to take a 24-12 lead at set point. Syracuse briefly held off an FSU win with two points behind a Florida State service error and a Saada kill, but setter Lauren Woodford committed a service error of her own to give Florida State the set, 25-14.
The Seminoles continued their momentum through the final set. Saada rose and drove a kill past a series of Florida State defenders to take a one-point lead for the Orange, but that was the only lead they held all set. The Seminoles jumped out on a 8-0 run, depleting the Syracuse defense with a series of kills. Despite multiple kills from the Syracuse offensive front, the Orange were unable to chip into Florida State’s lead. After kills in a last-ditch effort from Casiano and outside hitter Yuliia Yastrub, Martin put the set and match away for the Seminoles with a kill, winning the final set 25-13.
Saada and Casiano led Syracuse with seven kills and seven and a half points each. The Orange’s lack of offensive presence was compounded with disorganized play, as Syracuse committed 17 attack errors.
The Orange will face off again against the Seminoles on Friday in their final match of the season, as North Carolina State withdrew from this weekend’s contests due to contact tracing protocol.
