Orange Earn First Win of 2019 in Sweep of Kansas

Sunday, September 15

Lawrence, KS

2 pm

Syracuse University

1-4

Kansas

4-4

Syracuse

Orange Earn First Win of 2019 in Sweep of Kansas

9/15/2019 6:41:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse Volleyball (1-4) left the Kansas Invitational on a high note, downing the host Jayhawks in straight sets Sunday afternoon. The Orange won by scores of 25-21, 31-29 and 25-12 on their way to their first victory of the 2019 campaign. The team's road trip continues next weekend as they travel to Boston for dates with Northeastern and Harvard on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Syracuse gave themselves a four-point cushion early in the opening set, going up 9-5. Errors from the Orange then allowed Kansas to tie the score at 10, and then open up a four-point advantage of their own, forcing 'Cuse to call timeout down 17-13. The Orange regrouped, and service aces from Polina Shemanova and Marina Markova helped to even the score at 18. The Jayhawks took a 21-19 lead before Syracuse went on a 6-0 run and took the set, 25-21, and a 1-0 lead in the match. Markova paced the Orange in kills (5) and added three service aces in the opening stanza.

The second frame was as tightly contested as it gets. Neither side built a lead greater than two points until the Orange were on top 14-11. Once again the score was 18-18, and the back-and-forth action resumed, as the teams found themselves all square at 25, and then 26, 27, 28 and 29. A pair of kills from Shemanova finally broke the deadlock, giving Syracuse the set, 31-29, and a 2-0 advantage for the match. In total, the set consisted of 15 tie scores and five lead changes. Shemanova contributed 10 of her 13 kills in the middle set, with a .412 hitting percentage, and Elena Karakasi recorded 17 of her 34 assists. Yuliia Yastrub also came up with a big kill to help extend the set for the Orange.

Syracuse took complete control of the third set, jumping out to a 12-4 lead. The Jayhawks would make a push, cutting the deficit to four, but the Orange would go on an 11-2 run, winning the set 25-12 and sweeping the match. Markova registered 10 kills with a .750 hitting percentage in the final set.

NOTEWORTHY
Markova's 10 kills in the third set and 19 in the match were both career highs. Freshman Abigail Casiano's four blocks were also a career high.

The last time Syracuse defeated a Big 12 opponent came on Sep. 16, 2018 against Iowa State.

UP NEXT
The Orange hit the road again next weekend to take on Northeastern Friday, Sep. 20, at 7 p.m. in Boston and then Harvard on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Cambridge.

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