New faces help guide SU to season-opening win over New Hampshire

For the second straight year, Syracuse (1-0) won its opening match of the season in straight sets. After beating Siena last year, SU defeated New Hampshire (1-3), 3-0, in its opening match at the UConn Invitational in Storrs, Connecticut.

There were two new key figures for Syracuse: freshman Polina Shemanova and junior Aliah Bowllan. Bowllan is taking over for the graduated libero Belle Sand, while the freshman replaced the production of senior Anastasiya Gorelina. In her first NCAA match, Shemanova was dominant. She had 17 kills and two blocks, winning a total of 18 points for the Orange. Bowllan totaled 10 digs and three assists to pace the Orange.

Down 10-9 early on in the first set, SU rallied to take 11 of the next 16. Syracuse struggled with serving, committing five service errors in the opening set. But senior Santita Ebangwese’s four blocks for the Orange helped overcome its serving woes as SU took the first set, 25-21.

In the second set, Syracuse reeled off seven points in a row to take an eight-point lead. Shemanova started the run with her fifth kill of the match. UNH was able to close the gap to four, 21-17, but two late kills from redshirt seniors Christina Oyawale and Amber Witherspoon would eventually deliver the second set to SU 25-19.

Neither team led by more than four points in the third set. The Wildcats rebounded from the last two sets by taking an early 7-4 lead. But Ebangwese’s back-to-back service aces cut UNH’s lead to one, 7-6. In the end, it was Shemanova who saved the day, tallying 1o kills in the third to close out the match. Syracuse secured the final set, 25-21.

SU plays host Connecticut on Saturday at 2 p.m. to wrap up the UConn Invitational.