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After going 12-0 in nonconference play, Syracuse (12-4, 0-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has struggled to find its footing against other ACC teams. After losing its first three conference games, the Orange’s losing streak extended to four after falling in three straight sets against No. 1 Pittsburgh (14-0, 4-0 ACC).

“I thought when we started out the match they really executed the offense pretty well but our block communication and adjustment really improved throughout the match,” SU head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “I thought we got a lot of really good touches on the block that really helped our defensive players in the back row to recover those balls.”

Knowing this would be a difficult match, Ganesharatnam and SU’s coaching staff switched up its starting lineup. A noticeable change was freshman Pola Bujnarowska starting, her first time playing since Syracuse faced Le Moyne in September. In the game against Le Moyne, Bujnarowska played in just two sets and recorded her only kill of the season.

In the match against Pitt, Bujnarowska played in the first two sets and recorded 0.5 points, a -1.000 hitting percentage and no kills. Sophomores Zharia Harris-Waddy and Sydnie Waller also got significant playing time.

“It was a deliberate choice, but not to get them reps,” Ganesharatnam said. “We felt like they’ve practiced really well for weeks now, and gave us a better matchup because Pitt is a pretty physical and athletic team.”

Midway through the second set, Bujnarowska had a collision near the net and was walked off the court. Postgame, Ganesharatnam said she sprained her ankle and will hopefully return soon. After exiting the game, Bujnarowska was substituted for Anastasiia Nikolnikova. This was Nikolnikova’s first time entering the game, another notable change from SU’s norm.

Nikolnikova has played in the past nine matches and has the second-highest hitting percentage in the ACC (0.455). In the postgame interview after the match against SMU, Ganesharatnam noted Nikolnikova struggled at the beginning of that match, a possible explanation for her decrease in playing time.

The Orange recorded the most points during the second set, ending 25-18 in favor of Pitt. Ava Palm noted it was difficult to beat a team that was always a few steps ahead.

“They were always just a couple points ahead. So we would get a run but they were already ahead,” Palm said. “It’s just hard to beat a team like that.”

Two other players completely missing from the match were defensive player Emma Ortiz and middle blocker Sydney Moore. This is the first match this season in which neither of them played. Freshman Ashlee Gnau took on Ortiz’s usual defensive role, while Harris-Waddy and Waller filled the gap left by Moore.

“We run a rotation of usually eight to 10 players. That means at least four to six players won’t play,” Ganesharatnam said regarding Moore’s lack of playing time. “It’s a decision we have to make weekly, sometimes from match to match.”

Throughout the game, many steady substitutions were made. Skylar George and Waller went in for each other consistently along with Gnau and Sara Wasiakowska swapping each other in and out.

SU’s one consistency on the court came courtesy of Palm and Veronica Sierzant. Palm recorded 10 kills on 30 total attempts while Sierzant recorded over 90% of the team’s assists (20). Both players remained on the court for the entirety of the game.

“I just feel like we can compete with any single team in this conference,” Palm said. “I think when we are at our highest level and we believe it, we are such a good team.”

There has been a significant shift in the lineups from nonconference to conference play. Ganesharatnam said the team makes lineup decisions based on performance in practice and who’s producing for the team in matches. He could not say for sure if these different rotations will continue through the rest of the season.

“At the end of the day, there are going to be some players that won’t play because some other player is playing ahead of them today,” Ganesharatnam said.

Published on October 6, 2024 at 4:57 pm

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