Syracuse volleyball loses to No. 8 North Carolina in 3 sets

Syracuse (5-15, 4-6 Atlantic Coast) lost to No. 8 North Carolina (18-2, 10-0) in straight sets, 21-25, 12-25, 21-25, Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Anastasiya Gorelina led the Orange in kills with 10 but added six errors to cost the Orange. No other player on the team surpassed seven kills, with only three players having five or more.

SU started out very poor as half of UNC’s first 10 points came off of service errors and violations by the Orange. Syracuse recovered from the sloppy start to lose in a tight first set.

The momentum shifted back to North Carolina in the second set as it dominated Syracuse going on runs of six, three, four and three points, respectively, and winning the set by 13.

The Orange found some life in the third set, scoring four straight points after opening with a 5-8 deficit. It extended its lead to go up by as many as four points (when the score was 19-5).  Syracuse surrendered the next five points, though, to give North Carolina the lead, 20-19. SU knotted the score the very next play with a strong block from Leah Levert and Gorelina, but ultimately could not hold on and ended up losing the match.

The top players on the Tar Heels proved too overpowering for SU as the Orange finished with only five blocks, half of North Carolina’s total.

The Orange ends its road trip getting swept for the first ACC weekend of the season. Syracuse was the winner of one of two games in all previous weekends since beginning its conference schedule in late September.

SU returns to the Women’s Building next Friday to play Wake Forest.