Volleyball Defeats Siena

Tuesday, October 17

Loudonville, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Siena

Junior Cheryl Cobbina recorded a team-high 23 kills against Siena.

10/18/2006 1:22:26 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score

Loudonville, N.Y. – The Orange returned to its winning ways, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Siena 3-2 (30-23, 22-30, 21-30, 30-25, 15-13). Syracuse has won five of its last seven matches and improves to 8-18.

“I thought that the girls, having won the first game and losing the next two, it really says something to come back and win the fourth and fifth games,” said assistant coach Carol Munger. “They never gave up. I am proud of them for sticking it out and doing the job.”

Junior Cheryl Cobbina led the SU charge, tallying a team-high 23 kills in addition to 10 digs. She also matched a career-best with three service aces. Freshman Kacie MacTavish matched a personal-high with 17 kills and added 15 digs. Freshman Sarah Morton and sophomore Brittany Kern added nine and eight kills, respectively, in the middle. Sophomore April Quigley posted 48 assists.

Junior Joscie Kaup led the team with 26 digs and added a career-best six service aces. Her six aces are one shy of the school record set by Dana Fiume in 1999. Kaup also raised her career dig total to 1,458, two shy of second all-time in school history. Andrea Carson registered 1,460 career digs from 1989 to 1992.

“Kacie was really solid for us in the front row and the back row,” Munger said. “Everyone served pretty well today. We had 13 aces to their four aces and we had fewer errors. So that was a positive for us.”

The Orange started the match strong. Trailing 8-5, Syracuse scored 10-straight points behind the serving of Kaup. The 10-straight points are the longest run by the Orange this season. Kaup recorded four of her six service aces during the run as Syracuse built a seven-point advantage. Siena (12-11) was able to cut the lead to three but Syracuse was able to hold on and win 30-25.

The Orange struggled in the second and third games of the match, allowing Siena to gain a 2-1 advantage. Siena led by as many as 10 points in the second game but Syracuse responded and cut the lead to three at 23-20. Siena would score seven of the game’s final nine points to knot the match at one. The Saints started the third game with a 7-2 run and never relinquished the lead, winning the third game 30-21 to take the 2-1 advantage.

Facing a must-win situation, Syracuse went on an 11-1 run with the score tied at 12 in the fourth game to take a 23-13 lead. Siena would pull to within three points at 26-23 but Syracuse would put an end to the Saints’ run and send the match into a fifth game.

The fifth and deciding game was closely contested throughout, with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage. Siena led 7-5 but the Orange would score five of the next six points to take a 10-8 advantage. The two teams would trade points from there and Syracuse would win the fifth game 15-13 on a MacTavish kill.

Syracuse improved to 17-1 all-time against Siena. The Orange defeated the Saints earlier in 2006 by a score of 3-0 (32-30, 30-17, 30-25).

The Orange returns home on Friday and Sunday to face West Virginia and Pittsburgh in two critical BIG EAST matches. Syracuse will square off against West Virginia on Friday at 7 p.m. and Pittsburgh on Sunday at 1 p.m.