Marina Markova earns ACC Co-Player of the Week for 2nd time this season

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After strong performances against both Florida State and Miami, Syracuse middle blocker Marina Markova earned Atlantic Coast Conference co-player of the week for the second time this season. She previously earned the honor in September after SU swept Quinnipiac, Yale and Hartford at the Yale Invitational.

On Sunday against the Seminoles, Markova recorded 33 kills on 89 total attempts despite a five-set defeat. The 33 kills is the third-most in a match in program history, edging out Polina Shemanova’s 32 kills against Boston College in 2019. Her previous best was 22 against Mississippi State earlier this season. Defensively, she recorded three total blocks and 10 digs. 

In Friday’s loss to Miami, Markova notched 20 kills with a .326 hitting percentage. She also recorded three blocks and 19 digs — a career high. So far this season, she has recorded 381 kills on 832 total attempts, which is the most of any SU player. On the defensive end, she’s added 57 blocks, the third-most on the team. 

Markova returned this season after being absent last spring due to visa complications. She has helped improve SU’s attack, which struggled in her absence. She contributed to a 14-2 start by the Orange, but SU has since gone 1-7 in its past eight games. This weekend, Syracuse travels to No. 3 Pittsburgh and Virginia to complete the back half of its four-game road trip.