Shemanova earns ACC Player of the Week honors

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Syracuse hitter Polina Shemanova earned Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors after a 52-kill weekend. The Orange defeated Wake Forest and Virginia Tech on the road on Friday and Sunday, respectively, bringing the team to 4-0 in conference play.

Shemanova led the team in kills in both matches, producing 28 against Wake Forest — her highest total since November 2019 — and 24 against Virginia Tech. She was Syracuse’s only player with double-digit kills in its win over the Hokies, while recording a .404 hitting percentage across the two victories. 

The St. Petersburg, Russia, native also recorded 33 digs between the two games, an average of 3.64 per set, and added one block and one ace over the course of the weekend. 

With 52 kills in past two games, Shemanova is closing in on Syracuse’s all-time career kills record. She is now 26 kills away from passing Dana Fiume’s record of 1,698 career kills, which she set in 2000. 

This season marks the first time the Orange have started 4-0 in conference play since 2018, when the team finished 19-9 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse will return home on Friday night for a matchup against Notre Dame before taking on No. 2 Louisville on Sunday. The matchup against Louisville will be the Orange’s first time facing a ranked opponent this season.