Loud, energetic support from teammates carries through doubleheader despite blowout Syracuse wins

Down two match points in the final-set tiebreaker, Syracuse sophomore Jimena Wu was on the brink of defeat. All play on the other courts had wrapped up, and the entire Syracuse team had aligned themselves on the adjacent court in front of a deadly silent Drumlins Tennis Center.

On the next point, Wu rifled a winner across the court at her unsuspecting opponent, and followed that up by winning the next three points to take home the comeback win in front of her excited teammates.

“It’s only eight people,” Wu said, referring to her teammates. “But they sound like 100. The energy changes, the whole atmosphere changes. You feel like you’re in the spotlight, but we’re used to that. I love how I can have that support from my teammates.”

Though the fate of Wu’s match hung in the balance, the fate of Syracuse’s team match against Providence did not. The Orange was already up 6-0 on the Friars, after having defeated Seton Hall earlier that day by a 7-0 score.

Syracuse head coach Luke Jensen said he scheduled the doubleheader to help prepare his team both physically and mentally for the rigors of the Big East tournament.

“You look at the Big East basketball tournament and some of these teams have to play three or four games in a row,” Jensen said. “We may have to play three or four matches in a row to win the tournament.”

The Orange proved it was up to the task Saturday, dropping just two sets total and winning all six doubles matches. Maddie Kobelt and Amanda Rodgers both played in — and won — two doubles and two singles matches.

Syracuse was aided by its ability to focus on taking the day one match at a time, Jensen said.

“It’s getting them set to focus not on the big picture, but the one right in front of you,” Jensen said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and try to pace ourselves. Go take care of business here, go grab a bite to eat and then come back and do it again.”

One of the catalysts that helped propel the Orange past the two Big East foes was Kobelt. The junior captain cheered loudly for all of her teammates between her own points while also yelling “Go ‘Cuse,” a tradition that elicits a “Go Orange” reply from each of her teammates on other courts.

“I think it’s really important to know that you have the support of the team,” Kobelt said. “Everyone supports everyone, regardless of if they are down or up. It’s just important to let your teammates know that we’re all there for each other.”

As Rodgers wrapped up SU’s first blowout win of the day in a third-set tiebreaker against the Pirates, the already victorious Orange stood shoulder-to-shoulder, attentively watching and cheering. Many of Seton Hall’s players walked around courtside, waiting for their day to finish.

That team support was on full display once more as Wu made her comeback effort in a match that had no bearing on the team’s sealed fate.

“We’re still coaching as if the match is on the line. For her, and her individual spot, it is. We’re behind her, the teams behind her,” Jensen said. “Every single time we get a chance to represent this university, we want to represent it like we are playing for the national title, so when we get there, we are ready to go.”