Lindsay McCabe doesn’t remember many of Syracuse’s nine losses last season. But the sophomore middle blocker can’t forget last year’s first home loss — a three-set sweep (15-25, 22-25, 16-25) to Marquette.

The Orange had no answer for the Golden Eagles’ dynamic outside game. Outside hitters Ashley Beyer and Ciara Jones dominated Syracuse, leading Marquette to a road win behind 28 combined kills. The straight-down hits by Marquette didn’t allow the Orange hardly any time to react.

‘We couldn’t even get a play off,’ McCabe said. ‘It was that bad.’

Syracuse (13-7, 3-2 Big East) will face similar challenges defending that Marquette attack when the Orange takes on the Golden Eagles on Saturday in the Women’s Building. Marquette (15-5, 5-0) returned 11 players from the 2010 team that dominated SU, including Beyer and Jones, and is currently second in the Big East standings.

And almost a year after that demoralizing defeat last season, the Orange needs an upset win Saturday to keep its Big East tournament hopes alive. SU currently sits in seventh place with three conference wins. Four of the team’s remaining nine conference games are against opponents currently above Syracuse in the standings.

To play in the eight-team Big East tournament at the end of the season, SU will likely need more than one upset.

SU assistant coach Kelly Morrisroe said beating Marquette — one of the best teams in the Big East — would be a good place to start after a disappointing split last weekend.

After a big win last Friday against a favored Villanova team, McCabe said the Orange overlooked what appeared to be a lesser opponent in Georgetown. The Hoyas took advantage of an error-riddled SU attack and countered against a slow-to-react SU defense. 

Morrisroe said the letdown against Georgetown made this weekend’s Marquette game a must-win.

‘We’ve backed ourselves into a corner after going 1-1 last weekend,’ Morrisroe said. ‘We can’t keep doing that and expect to keep playing. This is a game we need.’

To earn that much-needed victory, Syracuse will need to keep Marquette’s star outside hitters, Beyer and Jones, in check.

The pair leads the Golden Eagles with more than 225 kills each. Beyer notched her 1,000th career kill in a sweep against Georgetown. Jones, just named to the Big East Honor Roll, had 16 kills in another sweep against Villanova.

Morrisroe compared Marquette to Dayton, a tough team that beat SU in three sets earlier in the season. She also said the Golden Eagles added another dimension to their already stout offensive game: an inside presence.

Marquette junior Danielle Carlson is 6 feet 3 inches and fits the profile of a player who can give the SU blocking game fits all match. She was named to three All-Tournament teams early in the season.

‘Marquette has a (middle) blocker (Carlson) hitting over .500,’ Morrisroe said. ‘If she touches the ball twice, she scores one of those hits. We’re going to have our hands full.’

Opponents who’ve beaten SU this season have that common denominator. Utah State, Dayton and South Florida were three teams able to match the Syracuse block — and players like McCabe and Hinz — at the net.

It’s the Marquette outside hitters that McCabe remembers. And this season SU’s defense and blocking game is better positioned to counter the Golden Eagles.

‘That was one of the best games they played all (last) season,’ McCabe said. ‘We’re better on defense this season.’

McCabe is hoping that improved defense makes a difference this year. And after slipping up to a weaker Georgetown opponent last weekend, the Orange knows anything can happen.

If Marquette overlooks SU, Hinz said her up-and-down team has what it takes to pull the upset.

‘In the Big East, every team is capable of winning any game,’ Hinz said. ‘We have the players to win this weekend.’

nctoney@syr.edu

 

Published on October 12, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Nick: nctoney@syr.edu | @nicktoneytweets