After 12 road matches already this season, the Syracuse women’s volleyball team is looking forward to finally playing a long stretch at home – especially since this stretch may do a lot to determine the rest of the season.

SU has been nothing short of dominant inside Manley Field House this year, going 6-0 while winning 21 of 24 games played in those contests. It has also swept four of its six opponents.

With the Orange currently sitting at 10-8 (1-2) and entering a crucial part of its season, home games become more important, especially now that SU hosts eight straight.

Syracuse begins its crucial stretch of home games tonight as SU hosts USF (9-4, 1-2) at 7 p.m., and then Georgetown (4-14, 0-3) Sunday at 2 p.m., both at Manley Field House.

With only the top eight teams advancing to the Big East Championship in November and the Orange sitting at 1-2 in the conference, the next set of eight games will be important to Syracuse’s postseason chances. Five of them are against Big East squads and the other three against New York rivals Long Island, Cornell and Colgate.

‘It’s really crucial,’ SU junior middle blocker Brittany Kern said. ‘There’s a lot of big teams coming to see us, so it’s going to be important that we put them away in our house, so it’s really crucial, especially (in the) Big East standings. We’re very pumped to be playing at home eight straight matches, and we’re looking for a lot of wins and to hold up the Syracuse pride at our house.’

The five games give the Orange a real chance to rise in the standings. SU also takes on DePaul, Notre Dame and Marquette during these stretches, who are a combined 3-8 in conference play. To make the Big East Championship, SU cannot afford to lose these games.

‘They’re big because they’re eight home games,’ SU senior outside hitter Cheryl Cobbina said. ‘These are like middle-of-the-pack Big East teams that we need to beat to make the tournament.’

SU assistant head coach Carol LaMarche said the Orange needs to take advantage of the home-favored scheduling.

‘Every Big East game is important, and the fact that we get to have so many at home this year, we need to take advantage of it,’ LaMarche said. ‘You really do have a home court advantage, and we have some big teams we’re playing at home this year, and I’m pretty glad they’re here – USF being one of them.’

To beat these teams, Syracuse needs to continue playing well inside Manley, a location where the players said they are most comfortable. Kern said it helps when there are a lot of fans in the stands.

Besides being comfortable, LaMarche also notices a sense of urgency when the team plays at home.

‘I see a little more desire in their eyes to get the win,’ LaMarche said. ‘They’re playing in front of their friends and family and they want to show them a good game. I definitely see maybe a little more urgency to get the win when they’re at home. It doesn’t mean I don’t see it when they’re away, but it’s more consistent when we’re at home.’

These home games also have a special meaning, as they are all necessary for a potential undefeated season at home, something Kern said the team thinks about.

‘It’s kind of one of our bigger motivators,’ Kern said. ‘Not only Big East standings are going to be determined in these next few weeks, but being undefeated is going to be one of the pride factors we play for (because) you don’t want to lose in your house. Having the fan support and that kind of thing is going to be crucial in us keeping our record clean at home.’

Playing five straight conference home games against mediocre teams is an important stretch for a team clawing for a spot in the Big East Championship.

‘It’s big for us because we have a winning record at home,’ Cobbina said. ‘They’re games we need to win, and being home is going to help a lot because we’re comfortable at home.’

Published on October 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm