Coming into Wednesday’s match against Syracuse on a three-game losing streak, Boston College volleyball and head coach Jason Kennedy aimed to change the narrative before ending the season.
After losing to No. 4 Louisville, unranked Clemson, and No. 15 Georgia Tech, the Eagles rallied throughout five sets to narrowly defeat the Orange.
While the Eagles (13–16, 6–11 Atlantic Coast) and the Orange (14–15, 2–15 Atlantic Coast) have struggled in their own ways throughout the season, BC managed to win the match 3–2.
Despite going back and forth on sets, the Eagles remained focused and pulled ahead in the tiebreaker.
“I think we’re lucky to get out of there with a win, but it’s hard to win any ACC match on the road, so we’ll take whatever we can get,” Kennedy said. “I think we’ve got to clean up the serve and receive a little bit. I think we’re gonna have a few more opportunities to serve a little bit tougher, obviously at home, but it’s good to get one. Ugly, pretty, or otherwise, you want to get the ones you can get.”
Beginning the match in the first set, the Orange went on a three-point run to go up 3–0. The Eagles quickly responded with a service ace and two Syracuse attack errors to equalize at 3–3. The teams traded points until equalizing again at 8–8.
Kills by Jenna Pollock, Audrey Ross, and Halle Schroder were crucial in bringing the Eagles offense back to life.
Anna Herrington and Julia Haggerty joined the mix with kills of their own to end the run 22–17. Trading points for the rest of the set, the Eagles took the first set 25–20.
The second set opened much like the first. Both teams failed to establish a definitive lead until the Orange broke through with a five-point run after being down at 10–9. Four Ross kills kept the Eagles competitive, down 16–14.
The Orange pressed the advantage and went on two three-point runs, taking the second set 20–25, winning on a BC attack error.
The Eagles went on the offensive in the third set, going on a five-point run led by kills from Ross to establish a 6–1 lead. Trading points back and forth, the Eagles continued to gap the Orange with a three-point followed by a two-point run.
A Syracuse four-point run and a handful of single points was not enough to stop the Eagles as two kills each from Ross and Sequoia Layne and three kills from Schroder gave BC the third set 25–16.
While Syracuse gradually established a three-point lead in the fourth set to go up 9–6, a five-point run featuring a kill from Schroder and four Syracuse attack errors brought the Eagles up 11–9.
The Eagles went on a seven-point run of their own to regain the lead at 19–15. Despite commanding kills from Sam Hoppes, Haggerty, and Ross, four of the seven points were won on Syracuse attack errors.
The Eagles were denied the win in the fourth set after Syracuse went on a five-point run, followed up by a four-point run. The Orange took the set 25–22, equalizing the set score at 2–2.
The tiebreaker showcased a back-and-forth battle between the Eagles.
The Orange traded two-point runs before a four-point run featuring kills by Pollock, Ross, and Schroder brought up a 6–2 lead. The Orange responded with a four-point run of their own before the teams traded five points back and forth.
Another two-point run by the Orange resulted in two two-point runs for the Eagles, up 14–11 on Syracuse attack errors. The Orange clawed their way back with a four-point run, taking a 15–14 lead.
When the Eagles established a one point lead, the Orange were able to equalize twice to lengthen the set. A deep kill by Herrington and a Syracuse attack error finally ended the match 19–17.
“I think we want to start building some confidence,” Kennedy said. “We’re still learning and our team is still getting better. I think we’re a little tired, we’re a little banged up but we’ll have an opportunity again on Sunday to see if we can get another win against a quality ACC opponent and two more after that.”
