SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Women’s Building was louder than usual Sunday afternoon, and Syracuse volleyball played with the energy of a team determined to make the most of it.
The Orange fell to No. 2 Pitt in straight sets, with all three finishing 25-20. However, the team pushed one of the nation’s best teams throughout the match in front of a strong home crowd.
“I think that anyone that was in there today could see that it was just a great atmosphere, and we loved everyone coming out and supporting,” sophomore libero Marie Laurio said. “So it was awesome to see.”
The crowd’s impact was especially noticeable for outside hitter Kiernan Stamey.
“Yeah, we haven’t seen that yet, and so it definitely helped with the energy for us,” Stamey said.
That energy showed early in the second set. Syracuse opened with a 3-0 run after a Keila Gabriel kill and back-to-back blocks from Stamey and Abby Nicholson, followed by Nicholson and Gabriel.
The Orange built a 6-2 lead and remained ahead 9-6 before Pitt responded. Syracuse battled back to within two at 19-17, but Pitt scored four straight points to take the set.
Syracuse also fought back in the third set, cutting an eight-point deficit to 20-18 before Pitt closed out the match.
The Orange reached 20 points in all three sets against a Pitt team that entered the match 13-0 and extended its winning streak to 27 consecutive sets.
Stamey led Syracuse with 14 kills, seven digs and three blocks while going head-to-head with Pitt star Olivia Babcock.
Babcock, a three-time ACC Player of the Year and 2026 ESPY nominee for best college athlete in women’s sports, entered Sunday averaging an NCAA-best 5.18 kills per set.
She finished with a match-high 18 kills while hitting .500.
After the game Stamey said she was looking forward to the matchup all season.
“Second-ranked team in the nation. You want to play against those teams, and I think we did just that,” Stamey said. “We’re showing everybody what we’re all about.”
Syracuse has now gone five matches without winning a set, but Sunday’s performance gave the Orange confidence heading into its next ACC road trip.
“Those are the exact games you want to go out and have the crowd be able to compete,” Laurio said of the team’s ability to challenge the top teams in the nation.
Syracuse travels to face North Carolina State Friday, before staying in the Tar Heel State to take on Wake Forest Sunday.