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Syracuse’s most recent Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against Duke University finished 7-0, its second straight shutout for the spring season. The Orange entered conference play with a 6-1 record but have only won one of their last five since then. Although SU impressed in its nonconference matchups through powerful hitting and nimble play around the net, a large gap in talent against several ranked opponents has pushed Syracuse to the bottom half of the ACC standings.

When the Orange picked up their first ACC win against Clemson two weeks ago, head coach Younes Limam’s team was firing on all cylinders. Viktoriya Kanapatskaya dominated her opponents with precise delivery, Miyuka Kimoto overcame a second-set setback with carefully timed drop shots and Ines Fonte used the backcourt to her advantage with a mixture of powerful forehand and backhand hits. But the triumph over the Tigers was followed by a shutout loss to the Tar Heels and prefaced by a series of crushing defeats.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s season so far:

Treshcheva’s injury woes

Sofya Treshcheva has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury all season long, Limam said. Although the senior held her own in SU’s season opener against Army, Treshcheva could not continue her singles success against Brown’s Gabby Soliman in her second game against Brown.

After playing the Bears, Treshcheva recorded a singles defeat before winning just one game in two sets against Penn State, ultimately falling to Gabrielle O’Gorman 6-1, 6-0.

While facing O’Gorman, the senior appeared to be in constant discomfort. The situation reached a tipping point in the middle of the second set when Treshcheva delivered a shot that dribbled slowly into the net. As she walked back to her corner after the lost point, tears started welling up in her eyes, and the match was out of reach.

On Feb. 25, Treshcheva made her 2021-22 ACC singles debut against Virginia Tech before being rested for the next two conference matchups for singles play. This season, despite her physical limitations, Limam knows what a healthy Treshcheva can bring to the table.

“She’s not a one-dimensional kind of player,” Limam said. “She can slide, she can hit flat, she can play with spin and she can go high.”

Miyuka Kimoto and Shiori Ito add important depth

Shiori Ito and Kimoto started the spring season off as doubles partners and quickly took off, earning comfortable wins over Army and Brown. But the duo’s triumph over Cornell’s Jenny Wong and Alexandra Savu would be their last doubles victory together as Limam separated the two Japanese natives in SU’s win over Drexel pairing Kimoto with Polina Kozyreva and Ito with Treshcheva.

Ito started the season with seven straight singles wins, the second-most consecutive wins for any SU player behind Kozyreva. Ito has since been Syracuse’s first choice in the No. 4 singles position with the bulk of her points coming from a mixture of backhand and forehand slices.

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Kimoto, on the other hand, began in Syracuse’s No. 2 singles position and has maintained it despite being heavily contested with SU’s veteran players. The freshman’s strength for playing at the net has helped her record seven singles victories so far, with two coming at the No. 1 position.

Although Kimoto and Ito’s performances have been a surprising bonus for the Orange, the two have still struggled in ACC competition. But with Kimoto grabbing her first career ACC singles win over Clemson’s Eleni Louka and Ito staying close against conference opponents several times so far this season, the two add depth Syracuse can use in future seasons.

The road doesn’t get easier

Syracuse has already faced three of the top 30 teams in the nation, according to the Iatest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, with the Orange losing each matchup. With seven games remaining before the ACC tournament, SU will have to face three more top 30 opponents.

Starting on March 25, the Orange will play No. 21 ranked Wake Forest before hosting No. 2 ranked NC State. The Wolfpack are led by 2021 All-American honorees Jaeda Daniel and Alana Smith, and the team boasts a 5-0 ACC record. Just two weeks later, Syracuse is scheduled to match up with No. 10 ranked Miami, who sits at fourth place in the ACC.

“The consistency of higher-level players in the ACC is going to force us to earn more points and extend the rallies,” Limam said. “It’ll be a big challenge for us.”

Published on March 20, 2022 at 10:03 pm

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff