Syracuse University
17-5, 6-1
University of South Florida
10-6, 3-3
Orange Unstoppable at Home
10/16/2009 10:19:16 PM | Volleyball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior Hayley Todd tallied a career-high 21 kills to propel the Orange to a 3-1 victory against South Florida (10-6, 3-3) on Friday night at Manley Field House. With the victory Syracuse (17-5, 6-1) extended its current win streak to six matches, while stretching its home unbeaten streak to eight.
Todd, who lists at middle blocker, continued to be successful hitting from the outside, leading all hitters in kills while posting the first 20-plus kill match by an SU student-athlete this season. Senior middle blocker Sarah Morton was second on the team with 11 kills while outside hitter Noemie Lefebvre added eight. Freshman Samantha Hinz and junior Mindy Stanislovaitis also came up big for the Orange at the net, contributing seven kills each to add to SU's 58-46 advantage in kills.
Syracuse was strong defensively, holding a 63-54 advantage in digs against a balanced USF attack. Lefebvre and senior defensive specialist Shanetha McLaurin split time at libero, each tallying 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Kacie MacTavish registered nine back row pickups while junior Sarah Hayes chipped in eight.
Hinz continued to be a clutch performer defensively on the net for SU, leading with five total rejections as the Orange out-blocked the Bulls, 11-7. Morton, the national leader in total blocks, chipped in four while matching the career record for block assists with 394. Lefebvre added three total stops, including a career-best two solo.
The Orange got off to a slow start as the Bulls took an early 5-2 lead in the opening set. USF continued to build on its advantage, taking a 22-13 lead before a service error, a pair of attack errors and two kills by Todd pulled Syracuse back, 22-18. Despite the surge, SU could not complete the comeback as South Florida took the first set, 25-19.
Back-and-forth play ensued in the second set, with the two teams tying on six separate occasions, the last at 11-11, before Syracuse took a one-point lead. Ahead, 14-13, momentum swung in favor of the Orange as Hayes ended a long rally with a big back-row kill. SU closed out a second-set victory on a 10-point tear, 25-14, tying the match, 1-1.
Syracuse continued to dominate in the third set, scoring the first two points to take a quick lead it would never relinquish. South Florida pulled within one at, 5-4, but would not come within three for the remainder of the game as the Orange secured a 25-21 third-set win.
The two teams traded points through the beginning of the fourth set, tying on nine occasions, the last a 13-13, before SU jumped out to a two-point lead, 15-13. With USF closing in, 17-16, the Orange broke the game open with a four-point run, 21-16, and cruised to a 25-20 victory, taking the match, 3-1.
SU puts its home unbeaten streak on the line again Sunday, October 18 as it hosts Georgetown in Manley Field House at 2 p.m.
