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When Syracuse traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for its Atlantic Coast Conference opener against UNC in September, it was in a much better spot than when it started conference play in 2023. Bakeer Ganesharatnam’s team was 2-8 entering its first conference match against Louisville last season.

This year, the Orange boasted a 12-0 record after an unbeaten nonconference slate, highlighted by wins at home against Iowa State and Cornell. But once Syracuse touched the court in ACC play, its season became reminiscent of the one prior.

Through its opening six ACC games, SU is winless and has seen a drastic dip in its kills, total attempts, hitting percentage, assists and blocks. At the same time, its attack and service errors have steadily increased against stronger opposition.

After winning two games last year, Syracuse (12-6, 0-6 ACC) has sextupled its win total before October. Yet, many victories came against non-Power Four programs and teams with a sub-.500 record. SU’s nonconference opponents are 52-131 as of Oct. 16. Its momentum from nonconference play has not translated into garnering quality wins within the ACC.

There were six ACC teams in the Week 7 American Volleyball Coaches Association D1 Poll. Despite flashes against No. 12 SMU, No. 1 Pitt and No. 5 Stanford, Syracuse has lost in straight sets four times in ACC play.

“If you look at the schedule, the first six, seven, eight matches are really tough for us,” Ganesharatnam said after losing against No. 12 SMU on Oct.4.

“We have six ranked teams we’re going to compete against, so we understand that. However, we want to make sure we learn throughout this process so that when we get over that hump of the first eight matches, we can capitalize on the next eight matches.”

The Orange have struggled to generate offense in ACC play, ranking last in the conference in kills per set. Ava Palm (2.33), who transferred from CSU Bakersfield, is SU’s only player to average two or more kills per set.

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Sydnie Waller, who delivered her season-high 16 kills in a five-set loss to California, is the closest with 1.89 kills per set. Skylar George, Anastasiia Nikolnikova and Zharia Harris-Waddy are all under 1.5 kills per set, while Sydney Moore and Sara Wasiakowska are below one kill per set.

“So many of my teammates are capable of getting 10 kills. You look at the attempts and I think everyone’s capable of producing,” Palm said after Syracuse’s loss to No. 1 Pitt. “It’s just a matter of trusting yourself and not being afraid.”

The Orange are also last in the ACC in total kills and points in conference play, with 189 and 259, respectively. In its most recent match against California, Syracuse was on its way to its first conference win since November 2022 after winning the first two sets. However, a string of errors and missed opportunities allowed Cal to rally and win the match 3-2. The loss marked SU’s 28th straight ACC defeat.

Syracuse is 14th in ACC play in total attempts with 678, above No. 12 SMU, No. 5 Stanford and No. 1 Pitt. SU is creating more chances than these ranked teams but because it’s less efficient than most ACC programs, the Orange have just three single-set wins in six conference matches.

Syracuse is not creating enough chances to register kills in ACC play, and when it does, defenses thwart it. In nonconference play, the Orange averaged 41.5 assists per game. In Syracuse’s first six ACC games, that number decreased to 29.5. SU’s average attacking attempts per game have only risen 2.5%, while its average hitting percentage per game has decreased by over 70% and its average assists per game by over 25%.

Before the season, Ganesharatnam said he wanted an offense with multiple hitters. Syracuse brought in 12 new players, 10 transfers and two true freshmen after injuries derailed its campaign last year. However, most of its transfers came from schools outside the then-Power Five Conferences. George, who transferred from Utah, is the only one who came from a Power Four school.

Last year, Ganesharatnam asked for patience when trying to build a team that could compete in the ACC. With 14 conference matches left in 2024, he’s kept that same message, feeling SU hasn’t scratched the surface of its potential thus far.

“We’re on the right track. We might not get the result from a win-loss standpoint throughout this first phase,” Ganesharatnam said. “It’s really important for us that we stay together and that we focus on the process of improving as a team.”

Published on October 16, 2024 at 11:43 pm

Contact Quinn: qdpostma@syr.edu