Syracuse bounces back with strong 3-0 victory against Niagara

After securing a 5-0 lead in the opening set, Syracuse (2-1) never looked back in a 3-0 shutout win against Niagara (0-2) on Saturday morning at the Women’s Building.

Amber Witherspoon led the Orange with a game-high 11 kills along with a .667 hitting percentage, while freshman Ella Saada finished with 16 digs, five kills, an assist and an ace. Jalissa Trotter, coming off a 35-assist performance against Grand Canyon on Friday, produced yet again for SU, totaling a game-high 19 assists.

The Orange boasted a balanced attack during an opening 25-16 first-set victory. Saada and Witherspoon each pitched in two kills. Offensive errors were at a minimum, an issue that plagued SU in its loss to Grand Canyon.

The second set was dominated by Witherspoon. The senior middle blocker totaled seven kills in the second set alone. Her performance jumpstarted a 12-2 run that saw the Orange go from three down to seven up in an eventual 25-20 set victory.

Niagara pushed Syracuse to the limit in the third set. After falling behind 12-4, the Purple Eagles went on an 8-2 run. The two teams exchanged points throughout until Niagara established a 22-20 lead. With a potential fourth set looming in the distance, SU rode a 5-0 run to win the set, and the game, 25-22. Ebangwese provided two kills to secure the victory for the tournament hosts.