Monika Salkute records career-high 24 kills in 5-set win over GT
After dropping two straight games on the road last weekend against Florida State and Miami, Syracuse bounced back against Georgia Tech Friday at the SU Women’s Building, winning three sets to two behind Monika Salkute’s career-high 24 kills.
The Orange came out slow, losing the first set 27-25, but a strong showing from Salkute helped SU to the five-set win. Her previous career high of 19 kills against Notre Dame came on Oct. 4.
Salkute mentioned after the game that she isn’t used to playing as much as she did Friday night — she usually rotates in less and gets less hits.
With a .396 hitting percentage Friday, she was consistent for the SU offense. Even so, she still has room to grow.
“She plays well,” Orange head coach Leonid Yelin said, “And I know that she wants to play (professionally), and she’s going to have to be a big girl.”
Aside from Salkute, the Syracuse offense kept to its usual numbers. Averaging almost three kills per set, SU senior outside hitter Nicolette Serratore followed Salkute with 13 kills.
Orange senior setter Gosia Wlaszczuk tallied 50 assists, many going toward Salkute.
“Basically every ball I set her in the first three or four sets, it was a kill,” Wlaszczuk said.
Senior Silvi Uattara, one of SU’s top hitters so far this season, played just one set for the Orange, spending the other three on the sidelines in her warmup jacket.
According to Yelin, the hitter has been suffering from an ailing back and her statistics “just weren’t there.”
The Orange was able to capitalize on a number of unforced errors by the Yellow Jackets. More than once, the Georgia Tech hitters launched serves out of the back of the court, warranting no return from the Orange.
GT came from behind in the fourth set, coming back from a three-point deficit late in the set to take it 26-24.
Georgia Tech head coach Michelle Collier kept calling timeouts in an attempt to calm her side and slow the Orange, but Yelin and his high-powered offense didn’t falter.
“After you score the point, there’s a crazy celebration, so that builds confidence every point,” Wlaszczuk said, “It builds up, that brings the energy up around us.”
The fifth and final set was as close as the previous four, seeing the sides evenly matched for its entirety. With the game tightly contested at 15-14 in favor of the Orange, one final block from Santita Ebangwese sealed the game.
After Friday’s victory over the Yellow Jackets, the Orange is starting to get back where Yelin wants. He stressed the importance of Friday’s win and the importance of continuing the forward progress.