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Syracuse volleyball (2-0, Atlantic Coast Conference) hosted the Salt City Classic Friday, dominating its start to the season. In the first leg of their doubleheader, the Orange defeated New Jersey Institute of Technology (0-2, America East) in straight sets. Then in the nightcap, SU defeated Lafayette (1-1, Patriot League) 3-1.

“I think we have a much better balance between underclassmen and upperclassmen,” SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “We have a very clear vision of how we want to play and I think the last three weeks were a lot more productive because we had more experienced players.”

Two grad transfers, outside hitter Ava Palm and right-side hitter Sara Wasiakowska, stood out. They combined for 23 of SU’s 36 total kills in its game against NJIT and each had 15 points. For Palm and Wasiakowska coming from CSU Bakersfield and Towson, respectively, playing at Syracuse represented a step up for their careers.

“This is big time. I think a lot of these younger players once they start to realize that, they’ll gain a bigger sense of pride of what they’re doing here and the opportunity they’ve been given,” Palm said.

Syracuse also got a boost from sophomore Veronica Sierzant, who played all seven sets on Friday after graduate student Elizabeth Schuster injured herself against NJIT. Sierzant, a setter through high school, was forced to play outside hitter due to injuries. However, this year she is back to playing setter, which she did masterfully, recording nearly eight assists per set.

“When (Schuster) went down, (Sierzant) came in and we said ‘This doesn’t change anything, we are still going to play strong and stay stable,’” Palm said. “And I think (Sierzant) showed a lot of strength and confidence when she came on the court. She took control which is really impressive.”

The Orange beat NJIT pretty soundly, winning each set by double digits. Against Lafayette, Ganesharatnam relied on his liberos more, including true freshman Emma Ortiz, who played all four sets versus Lafayette. In her second-ever collegiate match, Ortiz had a 93.8% reception percentage and recorded nine digs, tied for the team’s best.

More transfers played big roles against Lafayette, including redshirt freshman Skylar George, who transferred from Utah.

George played all three sets against NJIT and Lafayette. George struggled to record kills against the Highlanders, recording a -.182 attack percentage, but drastically improved against the Leopards, chipping in 11 kills at a .435 clip. This comes after not playing last year while at Utah.

“I think Utah’s loss is our gain,” Ganesharatnam said of George. “She’s a tremendous player, a true six rotation outside who can pass very consistently, play good defense, but also can perform at a high level on the offense.”

The 2023 season did not treat the Orange kindly, as they only won two games — a feat they’ve already equaled one day into their 2024 season. After adding 12 new players, Syracuse is letting go of last year and focusing on what this new roster can accomplish in 2024.

“I think the past is the past. Obviously, we want to use the past to learn from it, but it’s not weighing heavy on us,” Ganesharatnam said. “We’re really focused on this team. It’s a brand new team, with a lot of new players. It’s an exciting schedule, exciting new year.”

Published on August 30, 2024 at 11:13 pm

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