Syracuse has started fast again this season behind a stout defense. The Orange has overwhelmed its opponents at the net, blocking more shots per set than any other team in the country.

That defensive dominance has been the product of many different players stepping up.

‘I think our defense is doing great,’ senior outside hitter Noemie Lefebvre said. ‘Everyone’s contributing and doing a great job.’

SU’s defensive unit has fueled its 8-2 record in nonconference play so far. The Orange will be relying on its defense in its final tune-up before Big East play this weekend at the Blue and White Classic. The Orange takes on the host team, Buffalo, on Friday before finishing with two games against Dayton and Cornell on Saturday.

And SU is confident heading into the weekend with one of the top defenses in the country. Veteran middle blockers Samantha Hinz and Lindsay McCabe have led the way, combining on 113 of Syracuse’s 127 blocks.

The Orange will likely be tested against a Dayton team that was ranked in the Top 25 a week ago. The tougher test requires more preparation on the defensive side. The players study their offensive opponents, looking for anything to get an advantage.

‘With ranked teams or bigger name teams we do have to look more at specific players and their offense,’ senior defensive specialist Ashley Williams said.

But as well as the defense has played, SU knows it can’t depend solely on that unit to win games. The Orange want to see more consistency on the offensive side, which has a significant amount of freshmen playing key minutes.

Three freshmen have at least 20 kills for SU.

Although contributions from the freshmen may be a great sign for the team’s future, the Orange has the talent to win now. In order for the wins to come in the Big East, Syracuse’s offense has to work out the kinks this weekend.

‘This weekend’s just about stabilizing our offense and the whole team getting used to playing together,’ Lefebvre said.

Inconsistency on offense has cost SU matches this season. In Syracuse’s loss to a favored Utah Valley team, Syracuse held a two-set lead but let it slip away as part of a series of big runs by the Wolverines. The offense couldn’t convert key points to close out the match.

And the tough defense gave in, too.

‘I really think one of our biggest problems is that we let teams get runs on us when we should be shutting them down,’ Hinz said.

Even in some of Syracuse’s best wins, it hasn’t played a complete match.

Against Youngstown State, the Orange struggled to close out the first two sets, losing them by a combined four points. The last three sets were a completely different story as SU rallied for a come-from-behind victory.

If Syracuse can play like it did in those final three sets on a consistent basis, it will be among the Big East elite. If it can’t find that consistency, the conference season could be just as rocky as it was a year ago when the Orange fell apart and missed the NCAA tournament despite a 17-0 start.

This weekend also gives SU an opportunity to buck another negative trend — shoddy road performances.

Syracuse boasts a perfect 3-0 home record to go along with a 4-0 record at neutral sites, but the Orange is just 1-2 in games played on the road. That could change Friday as SU can push its road nonconference record to 2-2 with a win over Buffalo.

Playing against in-state opponents, SU will be playing for pride. Head coach Jing Pu puts an emphasis on handling other teams from New York.

‘Every year our coach (Pu) likes to say he wants us to beat every New York state team, so that’s always a given,’ Lefebvre said. ‘We just have to play well and get a win.’

For Williams and SU, their goal to ‘take the conference down’ starts this weekend. Syracuse is looking to carry the same confidence it has had all season into Buffalo and Big East play.

‘I’m not worried,’ Williams said. ‘I’m excited.’

dbwilson@syr.edu