Wake Forest Falls to Syracuse

Friday, March 26

Syracuse, NY

4 P.M.

Wake Forest University

0-13,0-12ACC

Syracuse

6-7,6-7ACC

Wake Forest

Syracuse

3/26/2021 6:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Wake Forest volleyball team lost it's opening match of the weekend, 3-0, to Syracuse Friday afternoon.

Senior Caroline Kuhn led the Deacs offensively, just one kill shy of tying her career high, finishing with a match-high 16. She also tallied three digs and a block. She finished with a team-high swing percentage of .371 on 35 attempts.

Redshirt freshman Delaney McSweeney made her third appearance of the spring season and recorded two kills on five swings, two solo blocks and two block assists for the Demon Deacons. Junior Abby Krueger made her second appearance of the spring season and recorded a season-high four digs and chipped in three kills.

How It Happened
Syracuse jumped on the board first before Caroline Kuhn notched her first of 16 kills. However, the Orange responded with a 6-1 run to maintain the lead. A solo by Chloe Wilson and a pair of Madeline Holt aces built some momentum for the Deacs who cut the margin to six. Wake Forest and Syracuse traded points until an Orange kill forced a timeout at the 22-14 mark. Although Wilson and Zoe Gonzales posted a block late in the frame, Syracuse took the 1-0 lead with a 25-16 win.

An early solo block by Delaney McSweeney gave the Deacs a 3-2 lead out of the gate in set two. The teams worked through five tie scores and two lead changes to begin the second set before a four-point Syracuse run forced a timeout. Wake Forest responded to bring the Deacs within two following a Gonzales ace as the Orange called time. Wake Forest kept the score within three, however Syracuse pulled away on a five-point run for the 25-16 decision and a two-set advantage. Kuhn led the Deacs in the second set, hitting an errorless four kills.

Kuhn picked up where she left off to put Wake Forest on the board first in the third frame. Syracuse responded to take an early lead, but an unsuccessful challenge sparked the Deacs' momentum. Back-to-back blocks by McSweeney and Holt kept the Deacs within three. A 3-1 run highlighted by a Paige Sebesta ace forced Syracuse to call a timeout. Wake Forest worked through six tie scores before a five-point run put the Orange ahead, 20-16. A Kuhn-McSweeney block ended the run, but Syracuse held on for the 25-20 win in three sets.

Coach's Comments
"We started slow but our adjustments in the third set really started to work for us. We just need to be able to finish. We're taking what we learned and going to apply it to a good Duke team tomorrow." – head coach Randi Smart

Up Next
Wake Forest will stay in Syracuse to face the Duke Blue Devils tomorrow. First serve is set for 2:30 p.m.