Aleah Marrow and Maddie Kobelt set the tone right away for Syracuse. The Orange’s top doubles pairing opened the match with an 8-2 win.

SU never looked back, proceeding to dominate in both doubles and singles en route to its first victory of the season.

“It feels good to get a win under our belt but we still have a long ways to go,” Marrow said.

In its first home match of the season, Syracuse defeated Navy 6-1. The emphatic victory on its home court was the first of the season for the Orange, and sent a message that the 0-5 start isn’t going to be the norm for this team.

The Orange took all three doubles matches and five of six singles matches in the victory. Marrow continued to ride her hot play in defeating Noelle Kaufmann 6-4, 6-0. Even with her success, she still sought improvement.

But she is not the only one on her team who expects more. Head coach Luke Jensen was adamant about getting the most out of his players.

“The play to me is just still too inconsistent,” Jensen said. “We’re still trying to find an identity to this team.”

The team came into the match not feeling like a team that lost five straight, but a team that was excited to get back home and prove it is a force to be reckoned with. Jensen and his players were thrilled to get back to Drumlins and play in front of a home crowd.

“This is our home turf. We have to defend this,” Kobelt said.

It’s a turf SU has defended well. The Orange went 6-1 at home last season and with this first win against Navy, it looks to build on that home success.

With three home matches in a row, Syracuse has the opportunity to play in a comfortable environment without the distraction of constant traveling that’s made the beginning of the season tough.

“It’s so much easier being at home compared to jumping in the van, eating out and all that stuff,” Jensen said. “It’s just so much easier here to get things right.”

The players are relieved to be at home, too, and believe the upcoming stretch of three home games may turn the season around.

“We’re going to get a full good week of practice in, not being all over the place, and I think that we’re up to defend our house.” Kobelt said.

Jensen added a sense of urgency to his statements. He said if there is ever a time to act, it is now.

“It has to be, it really has to be (now),” Jensen said. “For us to really make a run at a national title, we got to get some confidence going and it starts here at Drumlins.”

The first match at home provided a fresh start for the Orange. With its collective back against the wall, it is what Syracuse can do now that will define the 2012-13 campaign.

Said Jensen: “The next month is really going to determine, in my opinion, how this team does moving forward into the later months.”

Published on January 28, 2013 at 12:46 am

Contact Danny: dacuneo@syr.edu