Bakeer Ganesharatnam rules outside hitter Ariana Joubert out for season

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Syracuse volleyball outside hitter Ariana Joubert is out for the remainder of the season with an injury, according to head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam. Joubert has not played since Sept. 24 against Notre Dame, missing each of the six matches since.

Joubert has appeared in 19 sets this season, recording 43 kills and six blocks, while maintaining a .075 hitting percentage. She missed time earlier this season with an injury to her abdomen, but returned for the home-opener tournament, recording double-digit kills against both Iowa and Morgan State. As a freshman last year, Joubert appeared in 62 sets across 18 matches, tallying 15 kills and 18 blocks.

Joubert’s injury has left the Orange in a bind as Cherlin Antonio is the only fully healthy outside hitter available on the roster. Antonio has impressed, leading the Orange with 149 kills. Ganesharatnam said that not having Joubert available makes life more difficult.

“We’re asking (Antonio) to be the power hitter and the sole attacker to produce high numbers for us,” Ganesharatnam said. “She has to pass a lot of balls because teams are going to attack her.”

Syracuse is getting some additional help, with Raina Hughes slowly working her way up to 100% in her return from injury. Hughes suffered an injury in the first game of the season, returning for a combined two sets in SU’s last two matches. Hughes led the Orange with 110 blocks last year, starting all 103 sets as a redshirt freshman.