Syracuse volleyball’s 3rd-set success not enough in 3-1 loss to Florida State

Leading 4-0 at the start of the third set, Jalissa Trotter set up Mackenzie Weaver. Trotter hit the ball into Florida State’s blockers, who knocked the ball out of bounds getting SU its fifth point of the set. Seminoles outside hitter Milica Kubura hit the ball out of bounds on the next play, garnering a 6-0 lead for the Orange.

“I was trying to get (FSU) out of system,” Weaver said. “When they were on a system they weren’t very successful. There were a lot of rolls, a lot of shots that we could cover really easily.”

Despite suffering a 3-1 loss to No. 18 FSU, the six-point run to start the third set helped the Orange (7-19, 6-10 Atlantic Costal) win the set and become competitive in a game that had been anything but. SU had lost the second set with its worst point deferential of the season (25-9). Florida State swept the season series as SU lost the first match in straight sets.

“In the third game we … came back with much more energy,” SU head coach Leonid Yelin said. “Unfortunately, we started to lose that energy.”

After the 6-0 run at the start of the third set, SU led by at least five for the next 13 points of the set, peaking at an 11-2 lead. An attack error by Trotter at 12-7 started a 5-1 scoring run for the Seminoles.

FSU’s Katie Horton had two kills in a row for the Seminoles when SU led, 20-16 and 21-17. A third Horton kill brought the Seminoles to a two-point deficit. Belle Sand pushed the ball out of bounds, decreasing SU’s lead to 21-18. She looked at the ceiling in frustration as the Orange’s lead was diminishing.

Scoring went back and forth for the rest of the set. The six-point run had given SU a jump start before Florida State made a comeback.

On the next play, Trotter had a double touch and the violation tied the set at 24 all.

For SU’s 25th point of the set, FSU’s Christina Ambrose hit the ball out of bounds into the right side of the court into the Syracuse bench. The set ended 26-24 when FSU’s Mara Green was blocked by Anastasiya Gorelina.

“Defensively we do need to step up,” Sand said. “Today we did step up.”

The momentum carried into the beginning of the next set. Three kills in a row by Gorelina gave SU a 4-2 lead, one Syracuse carried until Ebangwese’s hit out of bounds broke a 16-16 tie. FSU took over and maintained the lead through the rest of the set. The steam from SU’s six-point lead had run out and, despite extending the game one extra set, SU lost again.