Erin Little was a staple in the lineup for Syracuse’s first four matches. She provided stability to a young Orange team.

On a roster loaded with nine freshmen, the senior outside hitter was part of the small veteran presence.

‘I love it when she’s there,’ fellow senior Ashley Williams said. ‘She’s a great block and, as a defender, I know that wherever she’s blocking is always sealed off, so that makes me feel a lot more comfortable.’

During a trip out west for the Utah State Tournament, Little was out of the Syracuse lineup for three straight matches. She has played sparsely in the matches after that. Now, with the Orange (13-7, 3-2 Big East) searching for stability on an inconsistent offense, the senior has again found an expanded role in the SU lineup. Little is one of three seniors on the Syracuse roster that brings the team valuable experience to a freshman-heavy roster during the grind of the Big East season.

The other two seniors, Noemie Lefebvre and Williams, have been key contributors all season. Both are regulars in the Orange’s starting lineup and have expectations to be two of SU’s best players this season. But the contributions the team has gotten from Little as of late are a welcome addition for a young team.

Little started in one of Syracuse’s biggest games of the season against Villanova — a game that turned into an upset win. And with the team struggling against Georgetown, SU head coach Jing Pu inserted the senior into the lineup coming out of the intermission.

‘It’s nice when she comes in because we do stabilize,’ Williams said. ‘Everyone knows how everyone plays, so it’s helpful.’

Not to say that the freshmen haven’t performed this year. Andrea Fisher and Nicolette Serratore have been two of SU’s top offensive contributors, combining for nearly 300 kills this season, but assistant coach Kelly Morrisroe said sometimes familiarity with a system and teammates is more important than raw talent.

‘There’s a sense of confidence with, not only our setters setting (Little) in the front row offensively, but our defense that plays behind her,’ Morrisroe. ‘They trust that and can play behind her, so we want to get her as much playing time as we can.’

SU is also entering the time of year when freshmen can hit a rookie wall. At a certain point, freshmen and younger players are expected to show their inexperience, and this year’s crop of freshmen is no exception.

‘Freshmen will begin to start playing like freshmen in the fall, and it’s not their fault,’ Williams said. ‘They are freshmen.’

For the most part, the freshmen haven’t regressed much with the start of the fall. Fisher earned her first career spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll just a week ago.

But the younger players have made costly mistakes at big moments of important conference matches. Syracuse lost the final point to the Hoyas when freshman Ying Shen served the ball into the net. Shen has tallied eight aces so far in her freshman year, but like the rest of the freshman class, she has made crucial errors late in matches.

Lefebvre, the outside hitter, said she tries to show leadership on the court to help the freshmen avoid those mistakes.

‘I mostly try to set an example by action than talking, but I’ll say some key words sometimes just to stay focused on certain points and keep up the energy on the court,’ Lefebvre said.

And Little has set an example for SU’s younger players since her playing time has increased, too.

In the second set against Villanova, Little was dominant. The senior had kills to cap off an 8-0 rally and to give Syracuse its largest lead. The Orange went on to win the set and make a statement that it could play with anyone in the conference.

Little is making the most of her opportunities. For parts of the season she may not have been getting the playing time she would have liked, but she has now joined the other two seniors in playing important roles for SU.

‘It’s our senior year, we just want to win,’ Williams said. ‘Whatever we can do to make this team win, that’s what we’re going to do.’

dbwilson@syr.edu