As the lone senior on the Syracuse volleyball team, Abby Van Mater knows the importance of this weekend’s opening Big East matches.

‘It all goes down tomorrow,’ Van Mater said. ‘Tomorrow is the beginning of our major season.’

Syracuse (9-4) begins Big East conference play tonight at 7 p.m. at Manley Field House against St. John’s (11-7). The Orangewomen also face conference-foe Connecticut (4-7) at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Syracuse lost to each opponent last season, 3-0. Non-conference opponent Marist (4-11) will also travel to Syracuse on Saturday.

This year’s team is quite different than the 2001 Orangewomen, who went 3-9 in Big East play. Led by only three upperclassmen, Syracuse goes into the conference schedule with an impressive record but without a set lineup.

The young team has dealt with a number of position changes — even after four preseason tournaments — because of inexperience and injuries.

‘I don’t even know who will be playing where,” Van Mater said.

She said key contributors Kristen Conway and Morgan Jones have been working at different positions preparing for this weekend’s matches.

Even without a set lineup, coach Jing Pu remains confident that his team will be competitive throughout the Big East schedule.

‘Our team is young, but we are getting better everyday,’ Pu said. ‘At different positions, I feel that we are improving.’

Throughout non-conference play, the Orangewomen fared well thanks to the consistent defense — led by libero Christen Casey — and a powerful but somewhat inconsistent attack. Sophomore Ashley Kimes knows Syracuse will need to be better facing the Big East’s top-tier teams.

‘In previous games, we’ve had a low hitting percentage, and we’ve been doing drills specific to that,’ Kimes said. ‘We’re a lot more prepared then we were at the beginning of the season.’

Syracuse will have to be prepared to face a much improved Big East, which includes Miami for the first time. Picked behind five teams in the preseason Big East poll, Miami has started the season 12-0 with wins over teams from the ACC, SEC and PAC-10.

‘Based on their pre-conference games, they looked very, very impressive,’ Pu said. ‘Not just their record, but the teams they beat.’

Preseason-favorite Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Rutgers all go into conference matches with records equal to or better than the Orangewomen.

‘Pittsburgh is getting better,” Pu said, “and Notre Dame is always good.”

Pu calls Rutgers, Connecticut and Georgetown second-tier teams.

The preseason tournaments are over and the Orangewomen are prepared to play the matches that will decide their success in 2002.

‘We’re ready,’ Van Mater said. ‘If we waited any longer (to play Big East matches), it would be too long.’

‘I am very confident before the first weekend,’ Pu said. ‘We will do well.’

Published on September 26, 2002 at 12:00 pm