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In 2022, Syracuse defeated North Carolina in five sets, 3-2. Since then, SU has not competed in a single game that has lasted for five sets.

That was until the Orange’s matchup Saturday with Iowa State. In a back-and-forth battle, Syracuse (11-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won the first and third sets while Iowa State (6-5, 0-0 Big 12) won the second and fourth. The Orange ultimately secured the win in the fifth set with a five-point lead at 15-10.

“We knew they were going to be really well organized, really structured, and very disciplined. That’s the DNA of the program,” SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said postgame of the Cyclones. “We knew we had to have a really good match plan and we needed to be really disciplined executing the match plan.”

Iowa State pushed the match into the fifth set with a strong performance in the fourth, taking control early after a 2-2 tie and maintaining the lead throughout the rest of the set. The 25-18 final score set the stage for the fifth set.

“I didn’t think we did anything bad. We had maybe more unforced errors than the sets before,” Ganesharatnam said of SU’s performance during the fourth set. “We wanted to finish that fourth set in a good rhythm.”

Despite the setback in the fourth, Syracuse approached the fifth set fully prepared to finish off the Cyclones. Outsider hitter Ava Palm described the Orange’s preparation for the final set as building on the momentum they’d generated during the prior set, rather than developing a new strategy. Ganesharatnam said the same, prioritizing execution over adjustment and tactics.

One adjustment that was made during the fifth was Syracuse’s defensive positioning. Sophomore Greta Schlichter noted that the team was overwhelmed during the beginning of the game and the Orange played the final set with three blockers. This shift neutralized Iowa’s hitters as the Cyclones ended the set with only three kills.

The beginning of the fifth set was close, with both teams exchanging the lead four times. But a kill by Palm jumpstarted Syracuse’s performance. SU recorded nine kills during the set, four of which belonged to Palm, all assisted by Veronica Sierzant. Sierzant came in for Mira Ledermueller during the fourth set of the match.

“I thought (Veronica) did a really good job. She came in, was really under control, distributed the ball really well, and played some really solid defense.” Ganesharatnam said. “It was not necessarily against Mira, it was more for Veronica.”

Middle blocker Anastasiia Nikolnikova secured the win for the Orange with two back-to-back kills.

Entering a fifth set was something no players on this season’s roster have experienced while playing for Syracuse. But the team handled it by igniting its offense and bolstering its defense, making for a commanding final set.

“I think our whole team is just so, so, so happy about this win. We were all in it from the jump, even the players that didn’t see the court,” Palm said. “You feel that energy and you feel that commitment from everyone around you on your team and it’s something really special.”

Published on September 21, 2024 at 9:31 pm

Contact Vivian: vpcollins06@gmail.com