Polina Shemanova is the driving force behind Syracuse volleyball

In the final set against Wake Forest, Polina Shemanova crumbled — three attacking errors in the game’s last four points saw Syracuse lose 3-1. The Orange’s star outside hitter recorded 17 kills, normal by her standards, but postgame, head coach Leonid Yelin was critical of her late-game play. He claimed she failed to focus on fundamentals.

“That’s something every player has to understand: every year you have to step up and prove it,” Yelin said. “(It’s) very disappointing when you are the best hitter on the front line and you cannot finish the game.”

For Yelin, helping Shemanova regain her consistency is key to the start of Syracuse’s (5-10, 2-6 Atlantic Coast) season. Yelin admits that he pushes the former ACC Rookie of the Year a lot, perhaps more than she can handle at times. With injuries plaguing the Orange all season, Yelin has turned to Shemanova to step up in the most important moments.

“(You) cannot have five drivers in one car, you know what’s going to happen, and (our team is) not an exception for this,” Yelin said. “Shemanova is one who can make a difference and has to step up to the challenge that we have.”

The sophomore currently leads the ACC in kills per set (4.65) and has been a vital part of SU’s wins. But for part of the season, the consistency hasn’t been there — during four of five consecutive games, her hitting percentage fell below .200. And when she lacks confidence, her talent and consistent play begin to fade.

Yelin has cited an overscheduled preseason and a lack of proper preseason preparation as reasons for Shemanova’s inconsistency. Now with freshman Marina Markova likely out for the season, Shemanova will have more pressure to deliver. But the sophomore said she hasn’t felt any additional pressure to deliver, however.

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Against Virginia on Oct. 13, Shemanova seemed to be back in rhythm for the first time in weeks. Her confidence shone as she repeated the same play time-and-time again, rising on the left edge of the net and sending a kill diagonally across the court for a Syracuse point.

“It’s not like we design it,” outside hitter Ella Saada said of Shemanova’s usage. “But if it’s like critical points, I will probably get it to her.”

For Yelin, this was a sign that Shemanova had let her instincts take over. Constant repetition of a particular play allows players to instantly recognize it in-game and make the play without a second thought, Yelin said.

“If you’re thinking, then you have to make a decision, then the decision has to go to the body and there’s no time for that,” Yelin said.

To get out of her midseason slump, Shemanova needed extra practice to develop chemistry with her teammates. It took time, but now Shemanova has complete trust in setter Elena Karakasi. Because Shemanova is shorter than most outside hitters, she prefers sets to her to have a bit more pace on them — an adjustment that took Karakasi time to make.

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Though Shemanova’s cold streak was primarily characterized by inconsistent offensive play, at least by her own standards, she excelled defensively during that stretch. Yelin changed nothing tactically — she was simply recording more digs and fewer kills than her usual self to start the season. Now, she leads the team in both kills and digs.

“Our defense isn’t set to just have me get every ball,” libero Aliah Bowllan said. “Having someone else who is digging the ball just means that’s another point that’s not being scored.”

Since a matchup against No. 3 Pittsburgh where Shemanova had 15 kills, Yelin believes she’s close to returning to her usual All-ACC self. There is still work to be done, though — she has the most total attacks on SU, but Shemanova has recorded a team-high 99 attacking errors in 15 games.

For Shemanova, clearing her mind and letting her instincts take over has helped Syracuse amid a losing stretch. The key for her is confidence, and the root of that confidence is consistency.

 “She’s such a talented player and smart player,” outside hitter Kendra Lukacs said. “Just to watch her grow, mentally and in confidence, I know what she can do.”