Palm’s Career Day Lifts Syracuse Past Virginia Tech

Friday, November 29

Blacksburg, VA

1:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Virginia Tech

Palm’s Career Day Lifts Syracuse Past Virginia Tech

11/29/2024 4:21:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Ava Palm turned in a career-high 21 kills and was one of three Orange players to post a double-double Friday as the Syracuse University volleyball team (15-17, 3-17 ACC) defeated Virginia Tech (7-22, 1-19 ACC) in four sets at Cassell Coliseum.

Ava Palm (21 kills, 13 digs), Veronica Sierzant (30 assists, 11 digs) and Skylar George (13 kills, 10 digs) all finished their campaigns with double-doubles, as Syracuse held on to win the fourth set and close out the 2024 season with an ACC road victory.

The victory was Syracuse's first in an ACC road match since the Orange won at Clemson on Oct. 21, 2022. That triumph over the Tigers was also the team's last victory outside the state of New York entering Friday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Syracuse Volleyball (@cusevb)

How It Happened
Sydney Moore opened the match with a kill for the Orange as Syracuse went ahead 3-1 early. The Hokies took their first lead at 4-3 and went back up by one at 5-4. Syracuse responded with a 6-2 stretch that featured two kills and an ace by Ava Palm to go back ahead, 10-7. Virginia Tech won the next two points to pull back within one before the Orange went on a four-point run highlighted by a Moore termination, a Greta Schlichter ace and a block by Anastasiia Nikolnikova and Sara Wasiakowska to take a 14-9 advantage. The Hokies roared back with an 8-3 run to tie the score at 17-17, but the Orange again had a response, winning the next four points to force a Virginia Tech timeout at 21-17. The Hokies won the first two points out of the break, but Wasiakowska ended the run with a kill, which Palm followed with an ace to force another Tech timeout. Kills by Skylar George and Wasiakowska out of the timeout sealed a 25-21 frame for the Orange.

The Orange got off to a quick start in the second set, with a kill each from Wasiakowska and Moore, along with a Palm ace, moving Syracuse ahead, 3-0. The Hokies responded with three straight of their own before the Orange reeled off four in a row behind a pair of blocks and a George termination. The Hokies worked their way back to within one before another three-point Syracuse run pushed the Orange ahead 12-8 and forced a Virginia Tech timeout. Tech again pulled back within one at 16-15 before the Orange won eight consecutive points, tied for the team's second longest uninterrupted scoring run this season, in a stretch that featured two kills and two aces from George, to take control of the frame. Palm's seventh kill of the contest on Syracuse's second set point polished off a 25-16 victory.

Syracuse raced out to a 7-3 advantage in the third set behind three kills by Palm, one each from Wasiakowska and Mira Ledermueller, a Nikolnikova ace and a Virginia Tech error. However, the Hokies matched with a 7-3 run of their own to knot the score at 10-10. The teams traded points and the lead over the next nine points before the media timeout, with Palm putting down three kills before Moore and George combined for a rejection to give the Orange a one-point lead at the stoppage. Syracuse built on its lead from there, with kills by Moore and George forcing a Virginia Tech timeout at 18-15. The Hokies mounted a rally out of the break, winning four of the next five points to draw level, 19-19. Palm connected on two kills over the next three points to pull 'Cuse ahead by one, but the Hokies won the next two points to take a 22-21 lead. A Virginia Tech service error on the next point gave the Orange tied the score, but the Hokies came back with the next two points to force a Syracuse timeout. Palm saved a set point with a kill, but Virginia Tech ended the set with a kill on the next point, winning it 25-23.

Much like the third set, the Orange rolled early in the fourth, winning six of the first seven points behind a pair of kills from George and a Palm ace. The Hokies quickly rallied, winning eight of the next 10 to take a 9-8 lead. With the score tied at 12-12, Virginia Tech won three straight points to take a lead to the media timeout. The Hokies held an 18-16 advantage before a Palm kill and consecutive Nikolnikova aces put Syracuse back in front. Virginia Tech came back with two straight points to retake a 20-19 advantage before Palm leveled the score with a kill. The Hokies retook the lead with a kill of their own but three straight Syracuse kills from Palm, Moore and George moved the Orange back in front by two and forced a Tech timeout. The Hokies won the first point after the break, but Wasiakowska set up a match point with a kill on the ensuing rally. After Schlichter served to open the next point, Virginia Tech misfired on an attack, which clinched a 25-22 victory for the Orange to close out the match.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Syracuse Volleyball (@cusevb)

Notes & Highlights

In her final college match, Ava Palm set a new career high with a team-best 21 kills. It was her 22^nd time reaching double-digit kills this season. She hit .442 for the contest, with her 21 kills coming on just 43 swings. The graduate student led the Orange in kills in 21 of the team's 32 matches this season. She also hit five aces to pull two ahead of Skylar George for the team lead (34) on the season.
With a team-best 13 digs, Palm recorded her eighth double-double of the campaign, seven of which came in ACC play.
Skylar George was as versatile as ever for the Orange on Friday. The redshirt freshman tallied her seventh double-double of the campaign with 13 kills to go along with 10 digs. She also had three blocks and a pair of aces.
Sophomores Veronica Sierzant and Mira Ledermueller split the setting duties for the Orange. Sierzant led the way with 30 assists, with Ledermueller adding 14 of her own. Sierzant also had 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the campaign
For the fourth time in the last five matches, Greta Schlichter reached double-digit digs with 12 on Friday.
Anastasiia Nikolnikova and Sydney Moore led the Orange with four blocks each. Nikolnikova finishes the season with a team-best 98 rejections.
Nikolnikova also had four aces, her most in a match since turning in five against Canisius on Aug. 31.
Graduate student Sara Wasiakowska tallied nine kills and three blocks for the Orange. It was her most kills in a match since she also had nine against Notre Dame on Nov. 10.
As a team, the Orange hit 13 aces, the most in a match for 'Cuse since notching 15 against Manhattan on Sept. 7. Five Syracuse players hit at least one ace.
Syracuse also outpaced the Hokies in kills (54-51), blocks (8-7) and assists (51-46).
For the match, Syracuse hit .235, marking the third time in ACC play the team hit above .200 in a match this season. The Orange hit above .200 in each of the final three sets and delivered a match-high 16 kills in the fourth.
The Orange won both matches against the Hokies this season to take a 10-9 edge in the all-time series. Syracuse previously defeated Virginia Tech in five sets on Oct. 27 at the Women's Building.
Syracuse finishes the season with a 15-17 record, which includes a 3-17 mark in ACC play. The Orange improved their win total from last season by 12.