Orange Open 2020 Season on ESPNU

Game Details: Friday, Sept. 25 (5 p.m. ESPNU) & Saturday, Sept. 26th (6 p.m. ACCNX), Syracuse, N.Y.
Live Video: Friday: ESPNU Saturday: ACC Network Extra
Live Coverage: Stats
Twitter: @cuse | @CuseVB
Syracuse Links: Game Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
Pittsburgh Links: Game Notes | News | Roster | Schedule

The 2020 Syracuse volleyball season begins on Friday, September 25th when the Orange host the University of Pittsburgh in a nationally-televised match on ESPNU at 5 pm. Syracuse and Pittsburgh will also square off on Saturday, September 26th at 6 pm (ACCNX). Due to COVID-19 safety protocol, both matches will be played at the Women's Building without spectators.

Experienced Orange
Five starters from the 2019 team return this season. Two-time All-ACC outside hitter Polina Shemanova leads the way. Last season, the junior from St. Petersburg, Russia etched her name in the Syracuse record books establishing the record for kills by a sophomore (485). It is the fourth-best single-season performance in Syracuse history. Shemanova also set the Orange single-game record for kills (36 vs. Louisville). She is a 2020 pre-season All-ACC selection. Sophomore middle blocker Abby Casiano, junior setter Elena Karakasi, senior outside hitter Ella Saada and senior outside hitter Yuliia Yastrub round out the returning starters.

2020-21 Captains
Polina Shemanova, Abby Casiano and Yuliia Yastrub will serve as the 2020-21 Orange volleyball captains.

"No question that Polina deserves the captaincy again," said Head Coach Leonid Yelin. "She's a big-time player. Polina is going to keep the team going by scoring. For this season we all agreed to add Abby and Yuliia as captains. Whenever we're in the gym, they give everything they have. They are always the most positive people off the floor. They are the emotional leaders."

The Series vs. Pittsburgh
This will be Syracuse's 52nd all-time meeting against Pittsburgh. The Panthers lead the series, 40-11. The pair met once in 2019, with the Panthers defeating the Orange in Syracuse, 3-0.

Academic Excellence
The 2019 Syracuse volleyball team earned the United State Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The honor recognizes teams that achieve excellence in the classroom in addition to their dedication on the court and maintain a minimum of a 3.3 cumulative grade point average throughout the academic year.

Additionally, nine members of the 2020 Orange team earned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Honor Roll recognition for the 2019 season. Dana Gardner and Yuliia Yastrub earned the honor for the third time, while Elena Karakasi, Polina Shemanova and Ella Saada achieved the honor for the second time. Abby Casiano, Berkley Hayes, Izzy Plummer and Lauren Woodford were each first-time honorees.

Remembering a Legend
The Syracuse Athletics family mourned the passing of former Orange volleyball student-athlete Carrie Urton McCaw '98. A standout athlete and student at Syracuse from 1994-97, McCaw passed away on February 14, 2020 after an automobile accident. She was travelling to a club volleyball tournament in Kansas City along with her daughter, Kacey, and former Louisville volleyball standout Lesley Prather and her daughter, Rhyan.

A team captain as a senior, McCaw earned All-BIG EAST Academic Team honors and was a member of the SU Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester. She left her mark on the Orange record book, setting the Syracuse record for matches played in a season and is second in career matches played. McCaw ranks third on the Syracuse all-time assists record and is ninth in career digs. The Orange won 85 matches with McCaw in the lineup from 1994-97.

The Opponent
Pittsburgh, the three-time reigning ACC champion, was a perfect 18-0 in conference play and finished the 2019 season ranked 11th. The Panthers were picked to win their fourth consecutive ACC volleyball title in a vote of the league's 15 head coaches. Among the Panthers' key returners is senior outside hitter Kayla Lund. The Pasadena, California-native was the 2019 AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year and was the second player in program history to earn AVCA All-America Second Team honors. Lund was named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team along with teammates Lexis Akeo and Chinaza Ndee.

Up Next
The Orange hit the road for a weekend doubleheader in South Bend against Notre Dame on October 2 and October 3.

For all of the latest information on Syracuse volleyball, follow us on Facebook (CuseVB), Twitter (@CuseVB), and Instagram (@cusevb).

Syracuse University Athletics remains committed to doing everything it can to support and protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our staff and the campus and Syracuse communities. All decisions will be science-based and informed by public health and guidance as provided by county, state and public health officials.

If fans are permitted to attend games – in some capacity – Syracuse Athletics will announce plans for spectators to secure admission to the events. Fans will be required to sit in their socially-distanced seat locations and wear a face covering.

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Players Mentioned

Abby Casiano

Dana Gardner

Berkley Hayes

Elena Karakasi

Izzy Plummer

Ella Saada

Polina Shemanova

Lauren Woodford

Yuliia Yastrub

Syracuse University Athletics