With their backs against the wall for the first time this season, the Syracuse volleyball team turned to senior captain Sarah Morton to lift the team up.

During the final sets of Saturday’s match against Sacramento State, the Orange – trailing by one set – played around with the rotation to give Morton opportunities to score.

‘Sarah’s always someone who we like to set a lot because she doesn’t make a lot of errors and can really put the ball away,’ Kacie MacTavish, senior outside hitter, said.

Playing to Morton’s strengths, the Orange came back to beat the Hornets, 3-2, on in Manley Field House. The win earned the team the championship trophy at the Big Orange Tournament. SU (3-0) defeated Siena, 3-0, earlier Saturday and knocked off New Hampshire, 3-0, on Friday evening. Sacramento State, however, also won its first two matches, setting up the championship game Saturday night.

Morton finished the weekend with 30 kills and 26 blocks to earn the tournament’s MVP award.

‘I think it was just experience,’ Morton said. ‘Being in those situations before, we knew what we had to do, and we did it.’

After winning a tight first set, 25-20, Syracuse got its first taste of adversity, trailing most of the second set, losing by five. MacTavish said the team tried to relax and regain focus in the huddle, but Sacramento State’s strong play continued in the third set.

The Hornets jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and won the set, 25-23, behind a couple diving plays. The Orange tried to rally late but couldn’t overcome the Hornets’ scrappy play. Sacramento State players threw their bodies to the floor to save a number of points and took a 2-1 lead in the overall match.

‘Everyone got a little down,’ Laura Homann, SU freshman setter, said. ‘But then all the girls just picked everyone back up and said, ‘OK, we’re going to five sets. This is ours. Let’s get it.”

The SU players stayed calm and didn’t let the Hornets frustrate them, despite the deficit and Sacramento State’s impressive defense.

The pivotal fourth set became an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Every time the Hornets tried to score, the Orange’s massive front line – led by Morton and MacTavish – would send the ball back the other way, stockpiling valuable points.

With the score knotted at 20, two key shots by Homann caught Sacramento State off guard, giving SU the lead both times. A late kill by outside blocker Noemie Lefebvre broke the 17th and final tie of the set at 22-all, propelling Syracuse to a 25-23 win and tying the match at 2-2.

Syracuse appeared to have solved the Hornets’ defense heading into the final set.

‘Once we realized the way it was going to be, we decided to not get frustrated and just keep pounding it at them,’ assistant coach Carol LaMarche said. ‘Eventually one or two has to fall.’

In the fifth and final set, MacTavish came alive with a string of late kills and Morton continued her strong performance, helping to deliver a surprisingly easy 15-9 win and the Big Orange Tournament championship. The Hornets’ defense, which was stingy in the early going, gave way to MacTavish and Morton’s strong play.

Most importantly, Morton led the team through a crucial set that eventually led to the team’s victory. By leading with her play, she helped the team calm down and coast to a win.

‘We play better when were relaxed, and obviously you can see it,’ Morton said. ‘We play better when we’re having fun.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on August 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm