The doubles point has plagued Syracuse all season long. It cost the Orange a chance to upset ninth-ranked USC in a match decided by one point. And head coach Luke Jensen was desperate to put an end to SU’s struggles.

After using Simone Kalhorn and Alessondra Parra at the No. 2 doubles position in 13 out of SU’s first 14 matches, Jensen decided it was time to make a change. After the experienced duo sputtered recently, dropping four consecutive matches, Jensen finally pulled the plug on their team.

And for his new doubles pairing, he decided to pair youth with experience.

‘We’re looking for combinations, and we’re looking for chemistry,’ Jensen said. ‘It’s very difficult as a coach to know that the system works, but at No. 2 recently and at No. 3 all season, we seem to find the wrong spots to hit the ball.’

With two unique doubles pairings, SU clinched its first doubles point since March 6, setting the tone for the Orange’s 7-0 victory over Villanova. Jensen called upon Kalhorn and freshman Aleah Marrow at the No. 2 position, and Parra dropped down from No. 2 to play with freshman Eva Raszkiewicz at No. 3.

It provided SU with a fresh group of tandems that had no trouble defeating the Wildcats. The Orange saw its best doubles result of the season, dropping just two total games at all three positions. The No. 2 and 3 pairings each won their matches 8-1.

The new partnerships certainly came with different feelings for the players. Kalhorn and Parra played together in tournaments beginning this summer, but following last Wednesday’s loss to San Diego State, they were the only doubles team with a losing record (6-8).

For Kalhorn it was an adjustment playing with Marrow, but she understood Jensen’s decision to mix up the lineup.

‘We had been playing with each other for a long time,’ Kalhorn said. ‘Obviously things weren’t really working, and Coach decided to change it up, and it’s fresh.

‘It’s fun to play with Aleah, and she hits a different ball, and I’m playing a different side. It’s a new perspective on doubles.’

Both Kalhorn and Raszkiewicz shifted from their more comfortable sides to make the new pairings successful. Kalhorn shifted to the right side to play with Marrow, and Raszkiewicz moved to the backhand side to play with Parra.

But for Raszkiewicz, the biggest change came with the way Parra communicated. Parra likes to signal the plays after each point. Despite this new method of communication, Raszkiewicz adapted and combined on a side-by-side attack that overwhelmed the Wildcats with an array of overhead smashes and quick returns.

‘We have our signs in the back, and she wants to repeat it after every point, and I wasn’t used to that,’ Raszkiewicz said. ‘I practiced with her before in a real match, so coming out we kind of got used to each other, and it was fine.’

The change was an attempt by Jensen to mix things up and try and mesh the players’ most effective styles of play. Marrow and Kalhorn are both adept at hitting big shots and big serves past their opponents. Parra and Raszkiewicz were effective at getting to the net and attacking.

The Orange made quick work in doubles, moving onto the singles portion of play in less than 40 minutes. Each doubles match ended within one minute of the next, marking the dominance during the segment of play.

‘We want offense, we want firepower, and we want to put as many big guns on the court as possible, as long as they execute,’ Jensen said. ‘You have to be able to call plays from the sideline and know they are going to follow through to the best of their ability.’

Jensen said he filmed two of the doubles matches to see the progress each pairing made. The new partnerships will last at least through the weekend, Jensen said, and that will provide each combination another three opportunities to prove they work well together.

And for Jensen, it’s hard not to like what he’s seen thus far.

‘It was a nice result,’ Jensen said. ‘It may change this weekend, but we have to come out with three victories. If doubles comes through, it’s going to really help us.’

adtredin@syr.edu

 

Published on March 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm