Back On Track: Orange Sweeps Siena in Non-Conference Finale

Tuesday, November 6

Women's Building

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Siena

Head coach Jing Pu was honored prior to the first serve for collecting his 400th career coaching victory against West Virginia on October 27.

Back On Track: Orange Sweeps Siena in Non-Conference Finale

11/6/2007 9:30:20 PM | Volleyball

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SYRACUSE – Senior Cheryl Cobbina powered the Orange offense with a team-high 16 kills, on just 27 total attacks, as the Orange snapped a brief two-match skid with a convincing 3-0 sweep against in-state rival Siena on Tuesday night in the Women’s Building. Syracuse improves its record to 8-1 against teams from the state of the New York.

Prior to game one, the Syracuse volleyball family, led by second-year assistant coach Carol LaMarche presented head coach Jing Pu with a commemorative photo honoring his 400^th career coaching victory. The Orange bested West Virginia, 3-0, on Saturday, October 27 handing the 18-year sideline veteran yet another coaching milestone.

Redshirt-junior April Quigley’s club-best 33 assists directed the Syracuse offense to a .352 attack percentage. Seven members of the Orange collected at least one kill with sophomore Kacie MacTavish totaling 12 on 23 total attacks, resulting in a .522 hitting clip. Brittany Kern’s eight kills on 11 total attacks yielded a team-high .636 attack percentage.

Sophomore Sarah Morton, now four solo blocks shy of matching Syracuse’s single-season record, paired seven kills with two total blocks. Freshman Mindy Stanislovaitis, who collected five kills, matched Kern’s team-best three total blocks.

Senior Joscie Kaup steadied the Orange defense with a squad-leading nine digs. Cobbina tallied five digs while MacTavish and sophomore Shanetha McLaurin registered four apiece.

Syracuse (19-12, 6-6) held a comfortable 28-20 lead in game one before escaping with a 30-28 triumph. Cobbina paced the Orange attack with seven kills, including the stanza’s winning point, while MacTavish added six. Quigley totaled nearly half of her assist total with 16.

The Orange offense took control in game two with a resounding .565 attack percentage. Syracuse’s 13 team kills, on 23 tries, was led seven apiece from Cobbina and Kern. The SU advantage ballooned to as much as 23-13 following a kill from MacTavish. Morton handed the Orange a two-game advantage with a game-ending kill off one of Quigley’s 14 feeds.

Syracuse’s 30-26 win in game three snapped the brief two-match drought and came with little resistence from the Saints. The Orange jumped out to an early 10-3 advantage following a service ace from McLaurin. Cobbina charged the Orange offense with a team-high four kills as sophomore Samantha Ainsworth added seven assists. MacTavish was especially efficient, downing three kills on four tries.

The Orange’s BIG EAST Tournament hopes hang in the balance with two critical matches against Villanova and Seton Hall. Syracuse closes out the regular season with in the Women’s Building against the Wildcats on Friday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. and against the Pirates on Sunday, November 11 at 2:00 p.m.