Setter Elena Karakasi plays pivotal role in Syracuse’s offense
A glance at the scoreboard in the Women’s Building reveals two in-game stats for every player on the court: kills and service aces. For Polina Shemanova, Ella Saada and Marina Markova, the red digits increase as they drill attack-after-attack. In most games, the scoreboard usually sums up how well they played.
But for setter Elena Karakasi, that scoreboard doesn’t reveal her impact. An integral part of Syracuse, her setting doesn’t directly show on her teammates’ kill totals. Her role as a reliable setter is imperative to the Orange’s success — she’s the glue keeping the offense alive.
“Years before, I was thinking that ‘I’m a setter, but no one actually cares what I’m doing’ so I don’t get praise for anything,” Karakasi said. “But now that I’m here, playing at a different level, I understand what I’m doing.”
In 2018, Karakasi was a backup to senior Jalissa Trotter, appearing in every set for just three of the Orange’s 28 games. This season, she was forced into the starting role after Trotter’s graduation and Dana Valelly’s departure from the program. Karakasi has since appeared in 61 of 62 sets for the Orange (6-11, 3-7 Atlantic Coast) and averages 8.05 assists per set, eighth-best in the ACC.
Last year, head coach Leonid Yelin considered redshirting Karakasi. He ultimately decided not to because the coaching staff determined it would be better for her to have a little bit of time to play. Behind Trotter, Karakasi learned the importance of aggressiveness, something she noticed she was missing.
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Yelin said he was confident that if needed, Karakasi could’ve been ready to fill in for Trotter and run the team last year. Karakasi’s offseason growth gave the SU coaching staff confidence in her ability to replace Trotter, who finished her career with the eighth most assists in program history.
Karakasi spent most of her summer in Syracuse, allowing her to work out every day with middle blocker Abby Casiano. Yelin and assistant coach Derryk Williams both cite Karakasi’s offseason work as the reason she improved in hitting, setting and jumping, among other things.
“When we saw her in preseason, it was unbelievable, she was jumping three or four inches higher,” Williams said. “We were just looking around like ‘OK, she worked.’”
Karakasi said that last year was the true challenge for her — the adjustment to American volleyball along with the experience of all the older players was intimidating. After overcoming the pressures that were associated with her freshman year season, this season feels “normal,” she said.
Running the offense this year began with constant repetitions and building chemistry with her outside hitters. Her connection with Shemanova, her roommate, is better than ever, she said. Shemanova likes when there’s a free ball because that means the outside hitter has enough time to exchange a quick look with Karakasi. But Karakasi admits that even without the facial expressions, she’s confident in their relationship.
She’s learned that Shemanova likes her sets with more pace on the ball, too. Shemanova approaches the ball with more speed because she’s shorter than most who play her position, she said. Little adjustments allow Karakasi to put her hitters into the best possible positions, approaching hittable balls with the fewest number of opposing blockers.
Karakasi’s teammates certainly appreciate her reliability and consistency. On an Instagram post which commended Shemanova as the ACC’s kills per set and points per set leader, Shemanova commented “wouldn’t achieve it without you obviously,” in reference to her setter.
Williams admits that the staff is tough on Karakasi, “challenging her as much, if not more than anybody else on the team to be a really good player.” So, while the offensive spotlight will continue to shine on Shemanova and Saada, Karakasi will continue to do her job, even if the scoreboard doesn’t always show it.
Said Yelin: “She is just the setter who we wanted in the first place.”