‘Canes sweep Syracuse as Grieve surpasses 1000 kills

For redshirt junior Angela Grieve, it was a special day. The Florida native joined an elite group of ‘Canes on Friday night as she surpassed the milestone of 1000 career kills.

In commanding fashion, Grieve led the match with 19 kills and boasted a .389 hit percentage to help Miami volleyball sweep Syracuse at the Knight Sports Complex.

The Hurricanes (18-9, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)) have now won five straight as they swept the Orange (11-16, 7-10 ACC) for the second time this year.

To start the match, Syracuse inched its way to a small advantage, leading 11-8 at one point and maintaining a slim margin of 17-15 late in the first set.

The ‘Canes responded by grabbing six straight points to jump ahead 21-17. After Syracuse went on a run to narrow the gap, sophomore Yaidaliz Rosado forced an attack error off her serve and then delivered the final blow with an ace to give Miami set one, 25-21.

Unfortunately for the Orange, the rest of the match was not as close. In the second set, the ‘Canes rattled off several kills and aces to gain an 18-6 advantage. At 23-11, Miami would sputter slightly, but Grieve grabbed the final two points off first ball kills as the ‘Canes won comfortably, 25-18.

The third set was a repeat performance, with Miami leading the entire way through. The Hurricanes powered their way to a 15-8 lead early and won points in bunches to clinch the match with a 25-17 set three win. Grieve once again delivered the final blows with two more first ball kills.

Grieve cemented her historic achievement with authority, becoming the only ‘Cane to record double-digit kills on the night with 19. At the line, the Hurricanes were dominant, collecting nine aces while not surrendering any.

Senior Janice Leao, who towers at 6-foot-3, collected six blocks to lead the ‘Canes, and senior Savannah Vach had a match-high 32 assists. In an all-around performance by Grieve, she led the team in digs with six.

The Hurricanes are coming into their own with the NCAA tournament nearing, sitting six games above .500 in the ACC. With only two matches remaining in the season, Miami is hot at the right time.

The ‘Canes hit the road this weekend as they travel to historic Cameron Indoor Stadium in a showdown against the Duke Blue Devils. First serve takes place Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. and is streaming on ACC Network Extra.