Volleyball Set For NIVC Second Round After Victory Over Albany

Thursday, November 30

Hamilton, NY

4:30 PM

Syracuse University

21-13

Albany

11-15

UAlbany

Syracuse

Photo by: Bob Cornell

Volleyball Set For NIVC Second Round After Victory Over Albany

11/30/2017 7:35:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y. – Three different 'Cuse student-athletes recorded at least 10 kills and the Syracuse women's volleyball team surged past Albany, 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21), Thursday night in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Orange improve to 21-13 with the win. The Great Danes drop to 11-15.

Santita Ebangwese led Syracuse with 13 kills and six blocks. Ella Saada added 11 kills with a match-high 24 digs and Kendra Lukacs totaled 10 kills to go along with 12 digs. Jalissa Trotter dished out a match-leading 41 assists.

The Orange will face Towson in the second round on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.

How It Was Decided
Albany jumped out to an early 14-8 lead in the first set, but Syracuse regained the lead with an 8-0 scoring run. Christina Oyawale contributed two kills along with kills from Saada and Mariia Levanova, two 'Cuse blocks and two additional Great Dane attack errors. Albany answered with and 8-2 run and went on to take the set 25-21.

With the second set knotted up at 13, Syracuse used a 7-3 run to gain a 20-16 advantage. Albany mustered a 3-0 run to pull within two points, but the Orange came away with a 25-22 victory. Four different 'Cuse players had at least five kills through two sets, Ebangwese led the way with seven.

Syracuse used a 9-1 run to open up an early lead in the third set. A kill from Saada and back-to-back aces from Ebangwese pushed the Orange ahead 15-6. Albany scored six straight point to pull within four, but a kill from Ebangwese clinched a 25-20 triumph.

Kills from Amber Witherspoon, Lukacs, Saada and an ace by Saada gave the Orange a 12-8 advantage in the fourth set. With Syracuse cling to a 21-16 advantage, four straight points pulled the Great Danes within one. Back-to-back blocks led the Orange to a 25-21 victory.

Coach's Thoughts
"I think there were a lot of nerves tonight," said head coach Leonid Yelin. "It will be important tomorrow to live in the moment because there could be no next time. We need to put this performance behind us and try to play our best next game."

Of Note
Saada's 24 digs on the night set a new career-high for the freshman from Kfar Masaryk, Israel. Her previous career-mark was 18 digs in a victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 22.

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