Volleyball Announces Five Orange Newcomers

Head volleyball coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam announced the addition of five student-athletes who will join Syracuse in the fall of 2023 on Monday afternoon. The five incomers round out a total of seven performers that will join the Orange in the fall. 
 
“This group will help lay the foundation that we will continue to build on for many years to come,” said coach Ganesharatnam. “This mix of incoming freshmen and transfers will have a tremendous impact on the team, as they all meet the specific needs that we were looking to fill. More importantly, my staff and I were able to find athletes who excel on and off the court and will mesh well with our returners. This is a group that brings a lot of talent and will create an extremely cohesive unit.”
 
Cherlin Antonio joins the ‘Cuse as a transfer from Iowa Western. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native spent her freshman and sophomore campaigns playing for the Reivers, where she helped her squad become 2021 NJCAA champions. While competing for Iowa Western, Antonio earned a pair of NJCAA first-team honors in 2021 (All-Region and All-Tournament). The outside hitter attended Luis Munoz Rivera High School in the Dominican Republic and played on the Mirador VC club squad.
 

Coach Ganesharatnam on Cherlin Antonio: “We are so excited to welcome Cherlin to Syracuse! Cherlin brings championship experience from playing in the NJCAA and national team exposure, as she played on the Dominican Republic National team. Cherlin adds a lot of talent and length, allowing her to help us on the outside and right side.”
 
Mira Ledermueller heads to The Hill all the way from Endorf, Germany. The setter brings a wealth of experience from playing at the club level, as Ledermueller has played for Dresdner SC since 2013 and VC Olympia Dresden since 2017. While playing for the two clubs, Mira was coached by Andrea Renneberg. The setter performed at highly competitive levels, as the setter competed at the 2022 German U20 Championships and for the German National Team at the 2019 U16 European Championship. 
 

Coach Ganesharatnam on Mira Ledermueller: “We are ecstatic to welcome Mira to our squad! Mira brings a lot of experience from playing overseas in Germany at the highest amateur level and plays for the Junior National team. As a setter, Mira will add to the program and will fit well in our offensive scheme.”
 
Laila Smith joins the Orange as a transfer from Alabama, where she competed in 33 matches over two years…