Volleyball Completes Improbable Comeback Against Pitt, Advances To BIG EAST Semifinals

Friday, November 18

Louisville, Ky.

3:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Pittsburgh (BIG EAST Championship)

The Orange advanced to the BIG EAST semifinals for the first time since 1999 after beating Pitt, 3-2.

Volleyball Completes Improbable Comeback Against Pitt, Advances To BIG EAST Semifinals

11/18/2005 7:08:05 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 18, 2005 – The third-seeded Orange stunned sixth-seeded Pittsburgh with a 3-2 (21-30, 25-30, 30-20, 30-27, 15-12) comeback victory in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship this afternoon in the Kentucky International Convention Center. SU rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to capture its first-ever win against Pitt in conference tournament play.

The comeback triumph marks the first time that SU has won after losing the first two games since it did the same against Army in the third match of last season. The win is the first against the Panthers since 2002, and it is the first in 12 tries in the conference tournament. It is also the first win in the BIG EAST Championship since 1999.

Senior Kelly Duan had a match-high 20 kills while classmate Kristen Conway added 14. Conway also recorded a career-high six service aces, which is one short of the five-game record set in 1999. Senior Katie Allen recorded eight kills with nine total blocks, while sophomore Joscie Kaup totaled 16 digs. Senior Aila Dommestrup distributed 50 assists, while classmate Kathryn Dercher contributed with 12 digs.

Early in game one, Pitt was up 4-2 before SU took its first lead of the game at 5-4. Duan and Malcom both had kills in that stretch. The two teams battled back and forth, but with a 9-8 Panthers’ lead, the Orange rattled off four-straight points to take a 12-9 advantage. Down 17-15 later in the game, Pitt went on a decisive 15-4 run to take the first game.

The Orange led early in the second game, 3-2, but Pitt scored six unanswered points to take an 8-3 advantage. The Panthers did not relinquish that lead the rest of the game. SU rallied back and pulled within two at 10-8. Pitt began to pull away again and took a 17-13 lead midway through the game. The Orange fought back again and scored five of the next six points to pull within a point at 18-17. Diana Andreyko and Ashley White added kills to put Pitt back up three, 20-17. That cushion proved to be enough, and the Panthers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the match with a 30-25 game two triumph.

The Orange came out firing in game three. A Pitt attack error gave SU the first point, and then Gini Ullery and Stephanie Ross combined on a block to get the point back. Duan and Allen came back with a block of their own, then Conway notched one of her service aces, and another Pitt attack error put SU up 4-1. The Orange never lost that lead. With a 13-10 lead, a Pitt attack error and another Conway ace forced the Panthers to take a timeout. After the break, Allen and sophomore Cheryl Cobbina stuffed a Pitt attack to put SU up 16-10. After an Azadeh Boroumand attack error, Conway delivered another ace to give the Orange a sizeable 18-10 advantage. SU did not let Pitt back in, and took the game, 30-20.

The Panthers responded early in the fourth game, taking a 6-1 lead. SU crawled right back into the game by tallying six of the next seven points to tie the score, 7-7. With the score tied, 13-13, Allen came up with a solo block to give SU the 14-13 lead. Allen then put down a kill to give SU a two-point edge. Ashley White pulled Pitt within one with a kill, but the Orange scored the next three to take an 18-14 lead. After an Ullery kill and a Ross service error, the score was 19-15 in favor of SU. Conway stepped to the service line and delivered four more points to give the Orange a commanding 22-15 lead. Pitt did not let down, however, and came back to tie the score again, 24-24, on an Andreyko kill. The teams traded points to 26-26, but Dommestrup and Allen stopped a Pitt attack to give SU the 27-26 edge. On the next play, Conway came up huge again, this time with a solo block. After Ullery put down a kill, Allen notched one of her own to give SU game point at 29-27. Ross missed on her next attack, and the Orange forced a decisive game five.

SU benefited from two Pitt ball handling errors to take a 2-0 lead in the final game. Duan and Allen combined for a block to put SU up three. With the score 5-3, Duan came through with a kill and a service ace to add to the Orange lead, 7-3. After Duan missed on a serve, Dommestrup snuck an attack past the Panther defense to begin a three-point streak. Another ball handling error and a Conway ace allowed the Orange to take a 10-4 lead. Following a Pitt timeout, Allie Cherven put down a pair of kills, and Boroumand tallied an ace to pull the Panthers to within three, 10-7. The SU defense retaliated as sophomore Jen Malcom stuffed a Pittsburgh attack, and then Allen and Dommestrup teamed up for another to pull SU within two points of the win, 13-8. The Panthers fought back and scored the next three points to make the score 13-11. Duan came up big with a kill to create match point for SU, but Ashley White kept the match alive with one of her kills. Duan finished the improbable comeback with a kill on the final play of the match, and SU took the game, 15-12.

Conway finished the match with 1,500 career kills. She is just the third student-athlete in Orange history to accomplish that feat. Conway also became the all-time leader in attacks, as she now has 4,193, passing Dana Fiume.

Ullery led Pittsburgh with 19 kills and nine digs, while Andreyko added 14 kills. The First Team selection was held in check, however, as she hit just .068 for the match. Boroumand dished out 58 assists in the loss, while Libero of the Year Megan McGrane totaled 33 digs.

SU advances to play either second-seeded Louisville or seventh-seeded Marquette in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship. First serve for the match is set for tomorrow, Nov. 19, at 3:30 p.m.