Syracuse boys volleyball faced a tough challenge against Fayetteville-Manlius (F-M) on Wednesday. The Hornets took an early lead, winning the first two sets 25-17.
Despite the rough start, Syracuse made a strong comeback. The team won the last three sets, securing a 3-2 victory over F-M.
Syracuse coach Jordan Johnson expressed his excitement about the win. “I’ve been a part of the program for nine years. We have not beaten F-M in nine years at the varsity level. That’s a nice check off the bucket list there for us,” he said.
In the first two sets, F-M showed dominance. Coach Johnson noted, “It was about finding our game. The first two sets, we just were not there.”
Syracuse fought back in the third set, winning 25-23, which kept them in the match. They continued to build momentum, winning the fourth set 25-21.
The fifth set was closely contested. A powerful spike from Agoth Athien secured a critical point, leading Syracuse to an 18-16 victory in the final set.
Ethan Nguyen and Badr Aly were key players for Syracuse, each contributing 10 kills. Athien also played a significant role with seven kills and four digs. Joseph Bagalwa provided 30 assists, while Sandip Subba led the defense with nine digs.
“Sandip, our libero, is our defensive leader,” Johnson praised. “There is literally not a point that finishes that if he can get a touch, he won’t get a touch. He was covering, he was help-setting, and he was getting the ball off the ground.”
F-M’s Patrick Horton excelled with 53 assists. Ben Resig recorded 24 kills, while Charlie Schroder added 18 kills and 11 digs.
In their previous matchup on September 10, F-M defeated Syracuse in four sets. Johnson explained, “We knew where to target them in the first game. We were not able to execute at the level we are now. That’s three weeks of practicing, focusing, and honing in.”
This win marks a four-game winning streak for Syracuse, following a challenging three-game stretch. Johnson noted the team’s improvement: “We started locking in during practices. They’re really buying into what I’m selling. We are a smart, defensive, and scrappy team. Our team has really bought into that and we’re able to impose that on other teams.”
Syracuse (5-4) will face East Syracuse Minoa on Saturday, while F-M (6-5) prepares for a match against Liverpool on October 16.
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