Alessondra Parra sprinted toward the net. As the ball dropped in front of her, she looked to return the drop shot with one of her own. But her return hit the top of the net.

Parra was let down. Not because Syracuse dropped the match — her loss was one of just two matches SU lost in the weekend — but because she missed a chance to prepare for what’s to come later in the season.

‘I’m disappointed that I went to the third set tiebreaker, because I should have been prepared to win that, too,’ Parra said. ‘These big matches come down to tiebreakers sometimes. … I need to be able to win anything.’

Parra could celebrate the fact that the rest of her Syracuse team (7-1, 3-0 Big East) dominated and swept all of its matches in a three-game weekend series with Cincinnati (1-6, 1-1), Buffalo (2-2) and Seton Hall (1-4, 0-2). The Orange defeated Cincinnati 6-1 Sunday, a day after beating in-state rival Buffalo 6-1. SU swept Seton Hall 7-0 Friday.

The Cincinnati match provided SU with a chance to assert itself on another Big East opponent. Despite some difficult matches, the Orange was able to put away the Bearcats in convincing fashion.

In doing so, SU used a serve-volley approach throughout the match. After striking the serve, the Orange tried to keep its opponents off balance by looking to hit a quick return.

The strategy benefitted many of SU’s players, including freshman Maddie Kobelt. Kobelt won her match 6-0, 7-6(3). The freshman said the approach is something other teams don’t practice against frequently, so it is advantageous to use.

A tiebreaker decided the No. 2 doubles match. The pairing of Parra and Simone Kalhorn was able to win 9-8(5), but the overall match could have taken upon a whole new dynamic had they lost that point. Parra and Kobelt were both pushed to tiebreakers in their matches. Kalhorn won at No. 6 singles in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Orange picked up its sixth consecutive victory this season. SU also boasts a 19-game regular-season conference winning streak and a 17-game home winning streak.

But for Kobelt, Syracuse’s No. 3 singles player, those winning streaks aren’t recognized by the team.

‘I think if you do think that we’re undefeated here that you get caught up in that rather than just playing,’ Kobelt said. ‘It’s helpful for us, and it gives us motivation to get better, but I think we’re going to keep that up and just take one match at a time.’

Despite the victory, head coach Luke Jensen still wants to see his team improve. Three of the six players closed out their matches in straight sets, but each match had its challenges.

‘We didn’t play our best tennis,’ Jensen said. ‘I don’t think we are playing our best tennis. There’s so much more room to grow and improve.’

Syracuse was able to test itself against some more challenging opponents and came out successful on three consecutive days. For Jensen, it came down to the team’s urgency to win, its fitness level and focus to get through the long weekend.

Parra didn’t give up, even though it was obvious the match wouldn’t affect the overall result. These are the matches that are going to help the Orange pursue its overall goal of a conference title and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

‘The bottom line is I don’t see fear out there,’ Jensen said. ‘I don’t see anyone being tentative, I see everybody being challenged and going out there and finding ways to win.’

adtredin@syr.edu

 

Published on February 13, 2011 at 12:00 pm