Syracuse University
Buffalo
Orange Opens Home Schedule
9/7/2010 9:34:30 AM | Volleyball
| Syracuse (7-0) vs. Buffalo (6-1) | |
| Match Eight | Tuesday, Sept. 7 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Women's Building | Syracuse, N.Y. |
| Game Day | Live Stats |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse (7-0) takes to the newly refurbished floor in the Women's Building today when it hosts Buffalo (6-1) at 7 p.m. Admission and parking is free.
A Look at Syracuse as a Team
- Syracuse won its second-straight tournament title over the weekend, defeating Tennessee Tech (3-1), North Texas (3-1), Northwestern State (3-0) and Samford (3-0) … The Orange opened the season with a Colgate Classic championship.
- This marks the first time SU has opened the season with two tournament titles since 2004 … The teams 7-0 record is also the best season start since 2004, when the squad rattled off nine-straight wins before suffering its first defeat … The 2004 squad finished the season with a 25-7 overall record and an 8-2 mark in BIG EAST play, qualifying for its first BIG EAST Championship since 1999.
- Syracuse is working to regain its reputation as one of the nation's top ten blocking teams, currently averaging 2.80 blocks per set … The Orange ranked eighth nationally in 2009 with a 2.83 blocks per set average.
- The Orange is hitting .312 as a team entering Tuesday's match, while holding opponents to a .175 attack percentage … Syracuse has hit .300 or better in five of its seven matches this season while opponents have hit less than .200 on five occasions … Syracuse's .312 hitting percentage ranks second among BIG EAST teams, behind preseason favorite Cincinnati (.316).
- Syracuse has delivered three of the five BIG EAST best performances for attack percentage in a four-set match this season … The Orange's .363 team hitting percentage against Tennessee Tech is currently the conference standard for a four set match while its .333 against Fairfield and .320 at Colgate both register on the list.
- SU's 69 kills against both Tennessee Tech and Colgate also currently stand as BIG EAST records for a four-set match.
A Look at Syracuse Individually
- Senior outside hitter Hayley Todd was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll after garnering Samford Tournament MVP honors over the weekend … Todd ranked second among the Orange with 47 kills, a .337 attack percentage and 13 blocks.
- Sophomore setter Laura Homann directed the Orange offense with 141 assists over the weekend for a 10.85 assists per set average … Homann is averaging 10.79 assists per set this season, which ranks third among BIG EAST setters and currently ranks seventh on the SU single-season chart.
- Junior outside hitter Noemie Lefebvre was one of three Orange named to the Samford Tournament all-tournament team after leading the squad with 50 kills, 38 digs, three service aces and three total blocks through the four matches … Lefebvre currently ranks third among BIG EAST hitters with 3.72 kills per set and fourth in points with 4.08 per set … Lefebvre's career-best 23 kills at Colgate are currently a BIG EAST standard for kills in a four-set match while her 21 kills against Tennessee Tech ranks second. - Freshman middle blocker Lindsay McCabe has stepped up to fill the role of graduated senior Sarah Morton in the blocking game … McCabe currently paces the team with a 1.48 blocks per set average, which ranks second among BIG EAST blockers … Her nine total blocks at Colgate and eight against Fairfield both rank among the top ten conference performances this season.
- Sophomore middle blocker Samantha Hinz has reasserted herself as one of the most accurate hitters in the BIG EAST this season … Hinz currently ranks eighth among conference hitters with a .371 attack percentage … She finished the 2009 season ranking tenth on the BIG EAST chart with a .315 attack percentage … Hinz also ranks ninth in the conference with 1.12 blocks per set.
- Senior right side hitter Mindy Stanislovaitis was the third member of the Orange to garner Samford Tournament all-tournament team honors … Stanislovaitis hit a blistering .448 through the four matches, notching 35 kills and 11 total blocks … She currently ranks fourth among BIG EAST hitters with a .383 hitting percentage for the season … Her .609 hitting performance (14 kills, no errors, 23 attempts) is in the top five performances by a conference student-athlete this season.
- Junior libero Ashley Williams led the Orange with 46 assists through the weekend while senior defensive specialist Sarah Hayes notched 33 … Williams leads the SU defense with 66 digs this season.
- Freshman setter Amanda Kullman made her collegiate debut at the Samford Tournament, dishing out 14 assists while adding a dig and an assisted block against Northwestern State.
A Look at the Series
- SU and Buffalo will meet for the 23rd time in program history on Tuesday … The series began in 1975.
- Syracuse is 19-3-0 all-time against Buffalo, having won the last two meetings.
- The Orange defeated the Bulls, 3-2 (25-23, 25-18, 24-26, 15-25, 15-10) in Buffalo last season … Graduated senior Sarah Morton had 19 kills and 24.5 points in the five-set match while junior outside hitter Erin Little was second on the team with 12 kills and senior outside hitter Hayley Todd had a team-best six total blocks.
Up Next
- The Orange goes on the hunt for its third tournament title when it travels to the Bronx, N.Y. for the four-match, two-day Fordham Tournament beginning Friday, September 10 at 2 p.m.
