Orange Edge Eagles for 900th Program Win

Sunday, November 24

Syracuse, NY

1 pm

Syracuse University

11-13,8-9ACC

Boston College

19-11,10-7ACC

Boston College

Syracuse

11/24/2019 6:02:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery Visual Recap

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – For the 900^th time since the start of the program in 1972, Syracuse volleyball (11-13, 8-9 ACC) came away with a victory Sunday afternoon. The Orange defeated Boston College (19-11, 10-7 ACC) in five sets for the second time this season.

'Cuse overcame 0-1 and 1-2 deficits to reach the milestone. Head coach Leonid Yelin's squad won by scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 15-9. The Eagles won the first and the third frame by scores of 25-23 and 25-21, respectively.

The win was Yelin's 599^th of his coaching career.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The advantage was not higher than two points in the early going until the Orange were ahead, 9-6. Polina Shemanova, Ella Saada, Yuliia Yastrub and Abby Casiano provided kills in that stretch. Boston College scored the next three points to tie it, but 'Cuse rattled off four of their own to go up 13-9. The Orange held a slim lead until the Eagles tied the score at 18 and eventually took a 23-21 lead. BC took a 1-0 advantage in the match despite five kills from Saada and Shemanova. The Orange posted 14 block assists and eight total blocks in the frame, led by Yastrub with five block assists.

Seven Eagle attack errors propelled 'Cuse to a 10-5 lead in the second set and a pair of kills from Shemanova and Elena Karakasi inflated the cushion to 15-9. Dana Gardner added a kill, and the Orange took the last three points of the set to even the match. Shemanova logged six kills in the stanza.

With a 7-3 lead in the third game, Syracuse allowed nine straight points to the Eagles, putting them ahead 12-7. The Orange responded with a 6-0 run to even the score at 14 with Saada contributing two kills in the burst. With the score tied, 17-17, BC capped off the set on an 8-4 run and took a 2-1 lead in the match. The Eagles were paced by senior Jill Strockis with six kills in the set. Shemanova led the Orange with five.

Facing its third straight loss, Syracuse took control of the fourth frame early, going up 5-0 thanks to kills from Casiano and Yastrub and a Kendra Lukacs service ace. Two service aces from Karakasi helped the Orange to an 8-0 explosion to take a 16-6 lead. BC put together a 4-0 run facing match point, but 'Cuse eventually took the set by nine points to force a decisive fifth.

Shemanova blasted six kills in the final set to carry Syracuse to victory. The Orange put the Eagles away by going on a 6-0 tear with the score knotted at six. Shemanova ended the match with a team-leading 24 kills while Gardner and Casiano each notched nine block assists.

NOTEWORTHY
Shemanova now has 463 kills on the season, passing her freshman year mark of 447. Syracuse's captain eclipsed Andrea Carson for seventh most kills in a season in program history and broke her own record for kills in a season since the 25-point scoring system was introduced in 2008.

Gardner's 12 total blocks rank tied for eighth all time in Syracuse history in a five set match. The Orange's 21 total blocks were a season-high and are tied for seventh in program history in total blocks in a five set affair. Casiano and Yastrub also set career-highs in blocks with nine and eight, respectively.

WHAT'S NEXT
Syracuse closes out the 2019 campaign at home this coming Friday, Nov. 29, with a 2 p.m. date with Clemson at the Women's Building. The match will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Admission and parking are free.

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