Syracuse Volleyball Set for NCAA Tournament Debut

Syracuse vs. Yale \| NCAA Tournament - First Round
Game Details	Friday, Nov. 30 \| 5 p.m. \| University Park, Pa. \| Rec Hall
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Video \| Stats \| Post-Game Press Conference
Syracuse Links	Notes (PDF) \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Yale Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

For the first time in school history, Syracuse volleyball is set for the first round of the 2018 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The Orange face off against Yale at 5 p.m. in Penn State's Rec Hall. The match will be broadcast free on BTN2Go.

The winner of Syracuse/Yale advances to the second round Saturday, Dec. 2 where they will meet the winner of Friday's 7 p.m. matchup between Penn State and Howard.

SCOUTING THE WEEKEND
With nine Ivy League titles in the last 15 seasons, Yale (19-4) is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs have won 11-straight matches and currently rank eighth in the country with a .153 opponent hitting percentage. With two all-time wins, Yale is the only Ivy League school to have more than NCAA tournament victory.

Friday will be the fourth meeting between Syracuse and Yale as the Orange hold a 3-0 series advantage. Syracuse has won all three matchups 3-1 including the last meeting in 1996.

Howard (20-10) won its fourth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and 11^th title overall. The Bison face Penn State in the first-round of the tournament for the second-straight year, following a 3-1 loss last season. Howard has won 15 of their last 17 matches, including its last 12 straight sets. Howard also ranks among the top-10 nationally in opponent hitting percentage matching Yale with a .153 mark. Syracuse and Howard have never met.

The No. 8 national seed, Penn State (23-7) is ranked seventh in the latest AVCA National Coaches' Poll. The Nittany Lions are one of two programs nationally to participate in all 38 NCAA Women's Volleyball tournaments and have seven national titles in school history. The team owns a 98-30 all-time record in the tournament including 13 appearances in the final four. Penn State leads the Big 10 and is eighth nationally with 2.86 blocks per set. The Nittany Lions hold a 7-0 series advantage over Syracuse, with two meetings in the last five years.

ALL-ACC SHOWING
Following a fourth-place finish in the ACC, a trio of Syracuse players picked up nods from the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday. Polina Shemanova became the first Orange player to earn Freshman of the Year honors. Shemanova was the only freshman named to the First Team All-ACC while also earning ACC All-Freshman team accolades. Santita Ebangwese was one of two players to be selected unanimously to the First Team marking the second selection of her career. Redshirt senior Amber Witherspoon rounded out the group with Second Team accolades.

This marked Syracuse's first multiple-selection to the First Team All-ACC and tied a school best three all-conference honorees.

HOW THE ORANGE SHAPE UP NATIONALLY
Shemanova is averaging 4.25 kills per set, ranking 26^th nationally and third among freshman. Her 425 total kills this season are the most by a freshman in a single-season. She has recorded double-digit kills in 24 of 26 matches including nine 20+ kill performances.

Ebangwese is fourth in the nation with a .419 hitting percentage, which is poised to be a new school single-season record. Her career clip of .349 is also a career-record at 'Cuse while ranking 24^th among active Division 1 players. Ebangwese boasts top-10 career marks in solo blocks, block assists, total blocks and blocks per set.

Witherspoon has paired up with Ebangwese to be one of the most dominating blocking duos in the country. Witherspoon's 1.53 blocks per set are the ninth best mark in the country followed by Ebangwese in 29^th with 1.33 blocks per set. Syracuse, ranking second in the nation with 3.08 blocks per set, is one of two schools nationally to have two blockers among the top-30. The Orange have notched 10 or more blocks in 19 matches this season including in eight of their last nine outings.

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Syracuse vs. Yale \| NCAA Tournament - First Round
Game Details	Friday, Nov. 30 \| 5 p.m. \| University Park, Pa. \| Rec Hall
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Video \| Stats \| Post-Game Press Conference
Syracuse Links	Notes (PDF) \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Yale Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

Syracuse Volleyball Set for NCAA Tournament Debut

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Players Mentioned

Santita Ebangwese

Polina Shemanova

Amber Witherspoon

Syracuse University Athletics