Orange Begin 2019 Regular Season With Two Matches in Wisconsin

Syracuse vs. #17 Baylor
Game Details	Thursday, Sept. 5 \| Madison, Wisc. \| UW Field House \| 5 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats
Syracuse Links	Notes (PDF) \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Baylor Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

Syracuse at #11 Marquette
Game Details	Saturday, Sept. 7 \| Milwaukee, Wisc. \| Al McGuire Center \| 1:30 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Coverage: Stats
Syracuse Links	Notes (PDF) \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Marquette Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

ORANGE BEGIN 2019 REGULAR SEASON WITH TWO GAMES IN WISCONSIN

MADISON, WI – Syracuse Volleyball will open its 2019 campaign this weekend at the HotelRED Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin. The Orange will face off against #17 Baylor Thursday, Sep. 5 at 5 p.m. before heading to Milwaukee to take on #11 Marquette Saturday, Sept. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Syracuse is 32-15 in their all-time season opening matches since its inaugural season in 1972. The team enters their season opener following an exhibition win against Cornell on Aug. 31.

The Returners:
2018 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year and 2019 Preseason All-ACC selection Polina Shemanova headlines a young Syracuse roster. The native of St. Petersburg, Russia, was an American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention in 2018. The Orange return seven letterwinners from last season-- three of them being starters.

As a freshman, Shemanova led the Syracuse offense and defense with 447 kills and 282 digs to earn All-ACC First Team honors. Her 447 kills were the most ever by a Syracuse freshman and ninth all-time. Among the returners are junior outside hitter Ella Saada and senior defensive specialist Aliah Bowllan. Saada led the Orange in service aces (20), recorded 228 kills, and had 222 digs while Bowllan tallied 248 digs.

The Newcomers:
Abigail Casiano, Berkley Hayes, Marina Markova, Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk, Isabella Plummer and Lauren Woodford make up the freshmen class joining the Orange for 2019.

New York native Isabella "Izzy" Plummer is an Under Armor High School All-American. She holds the Fairport High School records in kills and blocks.

Hayes, of La Jolla, Calif., continues a Syracuse family legacy as she follows two of her cousins who played for the Orange – Sarah Bartig (Volleyball '11) and Max Bartig (Lacrosse '10). She captained the volleyball team at Francis Parker High School for two seasons.

Markova and Lokhmanchuk are two of seven players on the roster that are international student-athletes. Markova, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, played with 'Cuse teammate Polina Shemanova on the National Team of St. Petersburg, helping them to two first place finishes at the Russian Championships. Lokhmanchuk, from Ukraine, played for the U18 Ukrainian National Team that qualified for the World Championships.

Woodford joins the Orange after graduating from Spring Lake Park High School in Edina, Minn. a year ahead of schedule. She was a captain of the volleyball team for two seasons.

Casiano rounds out the freshman class for Syracuse. In four seasons as a member of the Tampa Bay Heat, she helped the club to a 76-27 record and was a two-time All-Tampa Bay honoree.

The Opponents:
Baylor opened its 2019 season sweeping both UCLA and #18 Creighton at the Husker Invitational in Nebraska. The Bears Yossiana Pressley earned Husker Invitational All-Tournament Team and MVP honors for posting 38 kills in two matches in addition to 15 digs.

This will be the first matchup between Syracuse and Baylor. The Orange hold a program record of 17-21 against current Big 12 opponents, the last victory coming against Iowa State on September 16, 2018.

Marquette is undefeated to begin their 2019 campaign after victories over Utah Valley, Boise State and #9 BYU in the BYU Nike Invitational in Utah. The Golden Eagles have won all but one set in three matches. Senior Allie Barber led the team with 45 kills in the tournament, while junior Kaitlin Lines averaged 3.7 kills per set with a .413 hitting percentage. Those numbers earned Lines BIG EAST Player of the Week honors and she was named MVP of the invitational.

Syracuse is 4-7 all-time against The Golden Eagles, with their last win coming back in 2008.

What's Next:
Following its opening weekend, the Syracuse Volleyball team will travel to Lawrence, KS. on Sept. 13-15 for the Kansas Tournament. The Orange will face-off against Morehead State, Arizona and the Jayhawks.

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