Orange Handles Virginia Tech

Sunday, November 18

Syracuse, N.Y.

1 pm

Syracuse University

17-7 (13-3ACC)

Virginia Tech

14-15 (5-12ACC)

Virginia Tech

Syracuse

11/18/2018 4:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After putting up 19 blocks against Virginia Tech a week ago, the Syracuse volleyball team handled the Hokies once again Sunday afternoon with its 17^th double-digit block performance this season.

Syracuse's (17-7, 13-3 ACC) 10 blocks helped them defeat Virginia Tech (14-15, 5-12 ACC) by set scores of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-16.

Ella Saada and Polina Shemanova led the Orange with a game-high 11 kills each. Saada paired her kills with 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season while Shemanova added four blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set opened with nine ties and six lead changes as Virginia Tech clawed back from an 11-9 deficit with four consecutive points, leading Syracuse 13-11. The Orange responded, ending the Hokie threat, with a 6-1 run for a 16-13 lead. A monster six blocks in the first set allowed the Orange to stay in control, holding Virginia Tech to a .050 hitting percentage to open the match.

Syracuse fired off a 7-0 run to start the second set. The run came behind Saada's serve that featured two aces and two blocks. The Orange forced six attack errors taking their largest lead of the set, 17-7. Down 22-14, Virginia Tech quickly added four points out of a timeout but was unable to stop Saada's attack. Saada had five kills in the second set on a 5-of-9 (.556) performance.

Virginia Tech looked to click in the third set, tying it 7-7 with Syracuse. The Hokies did not commit a hitting error on its first 12 attacks of the set. Two kills from Saada and a pair of errors from Virginia Tech were all the Orange needed to jumpstart a 9-1 run, giving them the 16-8 advantage they would hold to close out the match.

OF NOTE
The Orange completed their sixth sweep of the season while picking up its second victory of the season over Virginia Tech. Syracuse's 10 blocks moves its season average to 3.1, a mark that continues to rank second in the nation.

With a team hitting percentage of .319, the Orange had four different attackers record above a .200 hitting percentage with 10 or more attacks. Santita Ebangwese, who was named CoSIDA Academic All-District this week, added seven kills with a .462 hitting percentage. Hitting .410 on the season, Sunday's performance was the 15^th match this season that Ebangwese has recorded a hitting percentage above .400.

UP NEXT
Syracuse heads to NC State for its final conference road trip of the season Wednesday, Nov. 21. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra. The Orange close out the regular season at home Nov. 24 to take on Wake Forest at 1 p.m.