When Miami barely tapped the ball over the net in the second set last Friday, Syracuse players weren’t ready. Both junior Aliah Bowllan and senior Jalissa Trotter stood flat footed and the ball smacked against the wood floor of the Women’s Building. The two upperclassmen stared at each other in confusion.

The Syracuse (10-6, 6-2 Atlantic Coast) defense hasn’t kept many plays alive. The Orange enters this weekend ranked No. 281 in digs per set, averaging 13.35. While Trotter said that communication is to blame, SU head coach Leonid Yelin doesn’t understand the defensive shortcomings. He believes that since Syracuse ranks No. 7 in blocks per set, the back line has no reason to perform so poorly.

“We’re partially good on defense if we’re talking about blocking,” Yelin said. “I think we should be much better because our first defense line block is pretty good.”

Laura Angle | Staff Photographer/p>

In Syracuse’s most recent match, it once again had defensive lapses.

SU won the opening two sets, but Florida State stormed back to force a fifth. On the opening point of the final set, FSU sophomore Taryn Knuth lept into the air on a back slide play. Bowllan crept to the left, on the opposite side of the benches. Knuth, noticing her slight shift, pounded the ball to the right of the sliding Bowllan.

The Orange totaled 69 digs in all five sets, slightly above its season average. It also allowed 72 kills, 41 of which came in the final three sets.

“Last weekend, I think we struggled a little bit defensively,” assistant coach Derryk Williams said.

Ahead of home matches against North Carolina and North Carolina State, SU targeted defensive positioning as a weakness in practice.

The drill begins with a fake block scenario. The coaching staff places a broom near the net to represent a blocker, Williams said. Next, they set up the defense either in the 6-2 formation, where Bowllan and two others stand in the back row, or in the 5-1, where only two people are behind the blockers.

Once in position, the outside hitters fire balls at varying speeds to different parts of the court. Freshman Polina Shemanova may blast a spike down the line, forcing Bowllan to sprint over and dive to keep the play alive. In other instances, to remain unpredictable, senior Santita Ebangwese may run a slide hit and lightly tap it over the net. The Orange wants their defense to practice against distinct attackers at contrasting speeds, Williams said.

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Bowllan believes this helps prepare her for outside hitters who she hasn’t played before.

“The best way to improve is … to get a touch on the ball, getting used to different hitters, different styles,” Bowllan said. “Every hitter is different, so the way Santita hits is different than the way Polina hits.”

Over the last four matches, Syracuse is 2-2. In the two wins, the Orange averaged more than  15 digs per set. SU sputtered in the losses to Florida State and Pittsburgh, totaling only 12.1 digs per set.

Bowllan believes the Orange back line will develop. She knows that with more reps in practice, she and the defense can provide outside hitters with more opportunities to win points.

“It’s about working together and having that good team chemistry, back row and front row,” Bowllan said. “If we can have that connection and figure out where people are and what they’re doing, we’ll be better.”

Published on October 18, 2018 at 12:14 am

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman