Syracuse wins 3rd straight, downing Notre Dame in 5 sets

Syracuse (20-12, 12-7 Atlantic Coast) defeated Notre Dame (21-9, 11-8) in five sets Wednesday night at the Women’s Building. It was the Orange’s third five-set game this season and its third consecutive win.

Kendra Lukacs (13 kills), Amber Witherspoon (11 kills) and Ella Saada (10 kills) paced SU’s offense, with Jalissa Trotter posting a season-high 47 assists. Witherspoon manned the front line, recording 16 blocks, while Belle Sand (29 digs), Lukacs (19 digs) and Saada (18 digs) controlled the back row.

The game opened with both teams trading points before the Orange took an 18-13 lead after a 6-2 run. Then, the Fighting Irish powered a 7-1 run to even the score at 19. Down 22-23, SU scored three straight off two kills from Santita Ebangwese and a kill from Anastasiya Gorelina, winning the set, 25-23. Ebangwese and Lukacs each tallied four kills in the set.

Notre Dame started the second set hot, gaining a 13-5 advantage on kills from four different players. The Fighting Irish gradually built off its lead with two service errors and three Syracuse attack errors, and went on to win the set, 25-15. The Orange struggled on offense and registered just seven kills.

Up 8-7 to start the third set, the Orange scored five of the game’s next six points. With the score knotted at 16, SU scored nine of the set’s final 11 points off six Notre Dame attack errors, winning 25-18. Syracuse’s defense stood tall and posted 10 block assists, with Witherspoon contributing on nine of them.

The Fighting Irish opened the fourth set up 11-6 before SU gradually battled back and evened the score at 16 after a 5-1 run. Down 21-23, the Orange scored two straight off a Trotter kill and Lukacs service ace. Then, a Lukacs service error and Ebangwese attack error handed the visitors the set, 23-25.

With the fifth set knotted at seven, Syracuse scored six straight points with three coming from Saada kills. After two Notre Dame points, Saada and Lukacs powered back-to-back kills, ending the game, 15-9.

Syracuse plays its last game of the regular season on Friday, as it hosts Louisville looking for its sixth straight home win. The game starts at 1 p.m. in the Women’s Building.