Syracuse Unable to Halt NC State

Wednesday, November 21

Raleigh, NC

2 pm

Syracuse University

17-8, 13-4ACC

NC State

15-12, 9-8ACC

Syracuse

NC State

11/21/2018 4:38:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Syracuse volleyball team was unable to find an answer for NC State's offensive attack Wednesday afternoon as the Wolfpack defeated Syracuse, 3-0.

Polina Shemanova led the Orange with 10 kills followed by Santita Ebangwese's match-high five blocks. Ebangwese had an error-less performance hitting .600 on a 6-of-10 performance. Syracuse (17-8, 13-4 ACC) had just eight attack errors, its fewest of the season, for a .240 hitting percentage.

NC State (15-12, 9-8 ACC), who has now won five-straight matches, was led by Jade Parchment and Teni Sopitan who recorded 19 and 16 kills, respectively. The Wolfpack won by set scores of 25-23, 25-20, 25-20.

HOW IT HAPPENED
NC State jumped out to a 6-3 lead to open the first set before Syracuse took advantage of a pair of errors from the Wolfpack, tying the set 8-8. Both teams traded points back and forth with neither able to distance themselves by more than two points. Tied 16-16, kills from Shemanova and Ella Saada pushed the Orange ahead 18-16. NC State took the lead for good firing off three consecutive points out of a timeout. Despite not committing an attack error in the first set, Syracuse came up two points short.

With only one block in the first, Syracuse worked to get its middles involved putting up four and five blocks in the next two sets, respectively. The Orange looked to move the momentum to their side taking a 5-1 lead with two early blocks in the second set. NC State continued to find a response using a 5-2 run to tie the match 8-8. Back-to-back kills from Parchment and Keira Moore broke the tie, 10-9, and gave NC State a lead the Orange wouldn't be able to come back from.

Ebangwese's back-to-back service aces opened the third set for a 3-1 Syracuse lead. Once again the Wolfpack strung together back-to-back kills, jump starting a 4-0 run for the 5-3 lead. The Orange worked their way back in the match with a pair of blocks from Ebangwese and Mariia Levanova, making it a one-point set, 11-10, but were not able to find an answer and take back the lead.

OF NOTE
The Orange have now recorded 10 or more blocks in 18 matches this season. Ebangwese's three block solos tied a career-high and moved her into sixth all-time at Syracuse in career solo blocks with 82. Amber Witherspoon added four blocks while Aliah Bowllan led a strong Syracuse defensive effort with a match-high 18 digs.

UP NEXT
The Orange return home to conclude its regular season Saturday, Nov. 24 against Wake Forest. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. Syracuse will honor its five graduating seniors – Ebangwese, Anastasiya Gorelina, Christina Oyawale, Jalissa Trotter and Witherspoon – prior to the start of the match.