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Syracuse started its season on the right foot. The Orange, who only won two games in 2023, won 12 straight before Atlantic Coast Conference play.

But 11 of those victories came against non-Power Four teams, 10 of which finished below .500. So, in conference matches, the Orange’s record dwindled.

SU finished 3-17 in the ACC, improving on its conference-worst 0-18 record from the previous campaign. Still, the Orange finished in 16th place.

Here are the numbers behind Syracuse’s (15-17, 3-17 ACC) 2024 season:

1,302 Kills

When SU’s 2023 season ended with a 3-0 loss to then-No. 3 Pittsburgh, setter Veronica Sierzant (four) and libero/defensive specialist Greta Schlichter (two) ranked in the top five for kills against the Panthers.

Not only did Pitt have 25 more kills than SU, but the Orange totaled 797 in the campaign, 391 behind the next-closest team. To fix its scoring issues, Syracuse added players through the transfer portal.

“Last season, we had a pretty good squad together,” SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said before the year. “The unfortunate situation with all the injuries made it very difficult for us to pursue the goals we had set up for the season originally. So, we really got together and readdressed some of the goals and focused on the cultural aspect of the program.”

In 2024, all five of SU’s top five kill leaders came via the portal. CSU Bakersfield transfer Ava Palm led the way with 371 kills and 22 double-digit kill outings. Skylar George (258) came from Utah and became a bright spot, recording double-digit kills in three of Syracuse’s final four games.

Alex Levy | Design Editor

Middle blocker Anastasiia Nikolnikova (141), outside hitter Sara Wasiakowska (128) and Cornell transfer Sydney Moore (116) filled out the rest of the top five. Zharia Harris-Waddy, who tallied 114 kills, emerged late in the season after her career night in SU’s win over Notre Dame on Nov. 10.

11 straight-set losses

After its best start since 2010, Syracuse traveled to North Carolina to continue its hot streak. However, the Tar Heels dismantled SU 3-0, foreshadowing the rest of its ACC slate.

The Orange lost nine straight conference games before capturing their first ACC win since 2022 in their victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 27. Still, the Orange were swept in over 60% of their conference matchups.

Ganesharatnam attributed the early conference losses — four of which came against ranked opponents — to the quality of the top teams in the ACC. Yet Clemson and California, which both finished in the bottom half of the ACC, swept the Orange as well.

“I think we’re doing the best we can to mature really fast,” Ganesharatnam said after SU’s 3-0 loss to then-No. 19 Florida State on Oct. 20. “But I think we’re certainly doing the best we can to learn from those matches and to take out the good pieces and keep moving forward.”

2.53 blocks per set

Despite a drastic improvement in its record, Syracuse ranked in the bottom half of 10 ACC statistics. Yet, one area where Syracuse dominated was blocking.

In 2023, the Orange finished last in the ACC in total blocks (122) and blocks per set (1.37). This year, SU ranked fourth with 293 blocks and fifth with 2.53 blocks per set.

On nine occasions, the Orange out-blocked their ACC counterparts. Most notably, Syracuse recorded 19 rejections to Notre Dame’s three on Nov. 10 and totaled more than Boston College in its first matchup on Nov. 20.

“As a middle (blocker), your job is to help your team and be that front line,” Moore said after SU’s 3-2 loss to Boston College. “But, in the end, we still wanted a little bit more.”

Nikolnikova (99) and Moore (94) registered over 90 blocks and over one block per set this season. Palm (0.58) and Harris-Waddy (0.78) ranked slightly lower but still notched over 60 blocks each. Wasiakowska also accumulated 58 blocks and 0.71 per set.

.177 hitting percentage

Even with its highest kill total since 2021, Syracuse still struggled to attack efficiently. Across the 32-game season, Syracuse had a .177 hitting clip, the second-worst rate in the ACC.

Against ACC opponents, that number dropped to .133, the worst in the conference. The Orange averaged over 70 attempts per game but also recorded double-digit errors in every contest.

Against elite defenses like No. 1 Pitt, No. 3 Louisville and No. 6 Stanford, Syracuse simply couldn’t get past them. At Stanford, SU shot at a negative clip (-.023). At home against Pitt (.023) and Louisville (.119), the Orange finished below .120. Even against below-average teams like Clemson (.092) and California (.073), the Orange didn’t break .100.

On 12 occasions in conference play, the Orange’s hitting percentage was below .150. Compared to the nine ACC teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, SU only hit over .150 against then-No. 19 Florida State. The Orange only shot better than .200 three times against Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Duke.

Published on December 2, 2024 at 11:12 pm

Contact Quinn: qdpostma@syr.edu