First-set surge not enough in home loss to Colgate

Sunday, August 28

1 pm

Syracuse University

0-2

Colgate

1-1

Colgate

Syracuse

First-set surge not enough in home loss to Colgate

8/28/2016 4:48:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Freshman Weaver leads Orange attacking effort

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse volleyball team returned to the Women's Building on Sunday afternoon looking to reverse the momentum after Friday's four-set loss to UConn, but couldn't hang on to the first-set dominance and fell, 3-1, to in-state rival Colgate (1-1).

The Orange (0-2) battled through four sets (25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 22-25), but were unable to get things organized offensively as the Raiders capitalized on the opportunity and came away with the win after struggling in set one.

"It's a lack of confidence," head coach Leonid Yelin said. "It's a game of momentum. It happens to much better teams, but they can respond much faster back. That's why I'm saying lack of experience, and based off of that, we start losing our confidence.

"We were responding a little bit late. Giving up more than a couple points puts us in a situation where we're deep in a hole and have to dig ourselves out. That definitely did not help us. We are painfully learning to stay focused. We lose and now we get ready to play."

Syracuse freshman Mackenzie Weaver led the Orange attack effort with 17 kills on the game, hitting .378 percent overall. Weaver also registered five digs and three block assists.

Colgate's Katie Stansbury led all players with 19 kills, while Syracuse's sophomore Anastasiya Gorelina was right behind with 15. Gorelina hit .462 percent on the night, while tallying two digs.

Sophomore Jalissa Trotter added 45 assists to the Orange effort in today's game, while junior Belle Sand tallied 22 digs from the back line.

At the net, junior Amber Witherspoon tallied three solo stops and three block assists, the most of any player on the court.

The Orange came out on fire in the first set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead after a dig by Sand helped Trotter set up Witherspoon for the kill, forcing the Raiders to call a timeout. Not willing to let up, Gorelina spiked the ball down for a kill off the timeout to go up 7-1 in the first.

Santita Ebangwese tallied her first kill of the game after a service ace from Sand, giving the Orange a 14-4 lead. Colgate fought back with a pair of service aces to force the Syracuse timeout, but 'Cuse fought back to extend the lead, 21-16, to force Colgate to call a final timeout.

An ace from freshman Kendra Lukacs led the Orange to grab set one, 25-18.

The pair were tied through the beginning of the second set, however Colgate was able to grab onto an 8-11 lead. Syracuse fought back, bringing the score within one (20-21 Colgate) after a solo stop from Witherspoon, and then went on to tie the game at 22 after a service error from the Raiders.

A few mistakes from the Orange helped Colgate secure set two, 25-22.

"Last year, our setter knew when to go and who to go to," Yelin said. "You have to be in the right place at the right time. But it's experience. Especially in our current situation, we need to stay calm and learn what motions to do."

After the break, the Orange took the first point after a kill from Gorelina.

The two teams went back-and-forth, staying within two points of each other, but Colgate was able to grab a quick run and take a 21-17 lead late in the third.

An ace from Ebangwese brought the Orange back within two (20-22 Colgate), but the Raiders were able to finish off the set, 25-23, bringing the game into set four.

The Orange, looking for a win in set four, came out on fire and jumped up, 14-9. A run by the Raiders forced Syracuse to take a timeout with the score at 15-13 'Cuse.

A long serve from Weaver brings the game to a tie at 16, but the Orange were unable to stop the Raiders as they jumped out to a 20-16 lead late in the fourth. Colgate held on despite the push back from the Orange, as they closed out the fourth set over 'Cuse, 25-22.

"I just think that I'm trying to communicate to the girls that we have to stay mentally in the game, remaining confident but calm," junior middle blocker Leah Levert said regarding the team's mentality. "We have to be aggressive, but smart."

The Orange take to the road for their first tournament of the season at Nebraska. Syracuse is set to face Oregon State on Friday, Sept. 2 at 4:30 p.m. and Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 3.

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