Zoe Guzman didn’t get discouraged early in the year when she was struggling to get on the court. The defensive specialist knew that if she worked hard in practice, she would get her chance.

Unfortunately, it took a coaching change for Guzman to see the court.

‘At practice if you do the work, if you show in the stats that you’re getting good numbers, then you’re going to be out there, that’s how we work,’ Guzman said. ‘Changes come. We’re going to put the person out there that’s doing the best job.’

When Jing Pu was fired last Tuesday after 16-plus years as Syracuse head coach, first-year assistant coach Kelly Morrisroe was named the interim head coach. For the most part, Morrisroe has tried to keep things similar to how they were run under Pu, but some minor adjustments have given the Orange (16-8, 5-3 Big East) three straight wins since Morrisroe took over head coaching duties. The expansion of Guzman’s role on the team is just one of those changes for a team on the verge of making the Big East tournament.

Before Morrisroe took over as interim head coach, Guzman had played just four sets all year. In each of the three games since Morrisroe took over, Guzman has played an increasing role that culminated with playing all four sets in a win over Seton Hall Sunday.

‘It’s good to be out there with the team,’ Guzman said. ‘It’s a good change I guess. I like being with my teammates and playing, so it’s a good opportunity, and I’m just using it.’

Guzman had two digs in the win over the Pirates.

Ying Shen had become a staple of SU’s starting lineup toward the end of Pu’s tenure. Several impressive performances early in the season justified Pu’s gamble on the little-known Chinese recruit.

But after a disastrous performance against Rutgers when the Scarlet Knights consistently targeted the freshman, Morrisroe gave Shen’s minutes at defensive specialist to the more experienced and consistent Guzman for Sunday’s match.

‘We’ve got so many great players on our bench,’ Morrisroe said. ‘Just because you may have started the game and you didn’t finish the game, that by no means takes away anything of your performance. … You can’t play 100 percent of the time all the time.’

Guzman isn’t the only one shaking up the SU lineup. Emily Betteridge played just her seventh set of the season Sunday against Seton Hall when she replaced Laura Homann at the setter position in the fourth set to spark a Syracuse rally.

Betteridge started once under Pu, but there was no doubt that Homann was the middle setter for Pu’s Orange.

Morrisroe has praised her bench all year, but until she became the interim head coach, some talented players were left on the sidelines.

‘It creates a healthy environment, healthy competition in practice,’ Morrisroe said. ‘They know that they all have to work if they want to be on that court because there’s someone right behind them that’s biting at the chop to get on the court.’

But Morrisroe’s slight changes aren’t limited to in-game action. Although she is by no means an overly animated coach — compared to the stoic Pu — her energy is undeniable, and it shows on Syracuse’s practice court.

‘The intensity definitely has increased,’ SU outside hitter Noemie Lefebvre said. ‘Her coaching style is a little more focused on intensity. … We have to run a lot more, and I think it shows during games.’

Though Morrisroe hasn’t made any drastic changes, the moves she is making are paying off and giving the Orange a rallying point to carry it down the homestretch of the season.

Prior to Pu’s departure, the team already sat in the top eight of the Big East, and the top eight teams make the conference tournament. The new head coach doesn’t want to change things too much for a young team during what had been a successful season thus far.

‘We are coming together as a team, and if we’re down, we still stay together and fight for each point,’ Guzman said.

‘ … We’re almost at the end of the season. It doesn’t matter who’s out there. And if I get to play more or less, I just want to do a good job.’

dbwilson@syr.edu