Orange to Close Homestand with Wake Forest, NC State

The Syracuse Volleyball team (13-11, 5-9 ACC) will wrap up its four-match homestand this weekend, getting set to welcome Wake Forest (11-14, 5-9 ACC) and NC State (11-13, 4-10 ACC) to the Women's Building.

CURRENT STANDINGS

Syracuse enters the weekend tied for 10th in the ACC at 5-9 in conference play with a 13-11 overall record. Wake Forest also sits at 5-9 in the ACC, making Friday's matchup a direct battle for positioning, while NC State stands just one game behind at 4-10 in conference play. With six conference matches remaining, the weekend will be critical for the Orange to separate themselves from the pack.

SOANA LEA'EA AT THE NET

Soana Lea'ea is coming off her strongest match of ACC play, posting a new high of nine kills in an ACC match against Georgia Tech. The Orange got Lea'ea involved early as she racked up five kills in the first set alone. The graduate transfer finished with a .571 hitting percentage in the tilt with the Yellow Jackets.

The Las Vegas native has been a force at the middle blocker position, recording at least one block in each match this season. Lea'ea is the only member of the Syracuse team to have 10 blocks or more in a match this season, having done so in the win over Boston College in late October.

CAPTAINS LEADING THE CHARGE

The Orange have been guided all season by captains Gabriella McLaughlin and Tehya Maeva, who have led the Orange both on and off the court. McLaughlin leads all Syracuse players with 342 kills through 24 matches, ranking sixth in the ACC, and has recorded 13 double-doubles this season while earning MVP honors at both the UAlbany Invitational and Salt City Classic. Maeva has orchestrated the offense with 811 assists, ranking sixth in the conference at 9.22 assists per set.

DYNAMIC ATTACK

Syracuse averages 12.7 kills per set with a .205 hitting percentage, and a number of different members of the roster get involved in the attack. Close behind McLaughlin is Skylar George, who has posted 10 double-digit kill performances since starting ACC play. George led the way for Syracuse on Sunday, posting a team-high 10 in the loss to Georgia Tech.

The Orange get their middles involved too, with Lea'ea and Zharia Harris-Waddy getting their share of chances to record a kill. Lea'ea has racked up 136 kills while Harris-Waddy has added 121. The two combined for 14 kills in the loss to Georgia Tech.

DEFENSIVE STRENGTHS

Syracuse holds opponents to a .207 hitting percentage, ranking in the top 10 in the ACC. The Orange average 14.43 digs per set, fourth-highest in the conference, with Rana Yamada leading the charge with 310 digs, while McLaughlin has added 255. Syracuse has held opponents under .200 in 11 matches and under .100 on four occasions this season.

SCOUTING WAKE FOREST

Wake Forest enters Friday's match at 11-14 overall and 5-9 in ACC play after splitting last weekend's matches with a win over Notre Dame and a loss to Louisville. Paige Crawford has been the focal point of the Demon Deacons' offense with 290 kills, including an efficient 17-kill performance on a .452 hitting percentage in the victory over Notre Dame.

While Syracuse leads the all-time series 11-3, the Orange have dropped the last two meetings and will look to reverse that trend on their home court.

SCOUTING NC STATE

NC State brings an 11-13 overall record and 4-10 ACC mark to Syracuse on Sunday, still searching for their first ACC road victory of the season. The Wolfpack are coming off a challenging weekend that saw them fall to Louisville before dropping a five-set match to Notre Dame. Courtney Bryant leads NC State's attack with 285 kills and 28 service aces, while the Wolfpack have built their identity on defense, ranking in the top 10 of the ACC in both blocks and opponent hitting percentage.

NC State holds a 14-5 advantage in the all-time series.

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