SU’s Morton reunited with ‘Little’ Sister
In the entrance to Manley Field House on Friday was a sign that read ‘We Love You Erin and Sarah,’ and the Syracuse fans got louder every time Erin Little or Sarah Morton made a play against Rutgers.
The crowd, largely made up of a contingent from Burnt Hills (N.Y.) High School, remembered when the sophomore, Little, and the senior, Morton, led Burnt Hills to the state championship match in Morton’s junior and senior years of high school. They all came to see the dynamic duo play together again, this time for the Orange volleyball team.
From high school to SU, Morton and Little have played five years together.
Little and Morton are more than just close friends. In reality, they are more like sisters. A friendship of nearly six years has extended far beyond volleyball. Little is the first to admit that Morton played a major role in her decision to play for Syracuse. Once she arrived, Morton once again took Little under her wing, preparing her for what SU and Division I athletics are all about.
‘Erin is one of my best friends,’ said Morton, a SU captain. ‘Ever since she moved to Burnt Hills, we’ve always been close, and I feel that she is a person that I can turn to when I’m not only having difficulties in volleyball, but difficulties off the court.’
Morton takes pride in her role as a mentor, and acknowledges how beneficial it can be to have an ally when you first arrive on campus, let alone a best friend.
‘I wanted her to come here,’ Morton added. ‘I think me being at SU definitely gave her another reason to come here. I wish I knew somebody, my freshman year, who was a backup person that I could always talk to.’
Little and Morton first met when Little moved to Burnt Hills in the seventh grade. The two immediately hit it off, and have played together since Little was a freshman. As the two middle blockers dominated high school and club volleyball, they formed a bond playing together nearly year round.
After looking up to Morton for so long, Little had little doubt that her teammate would excel on the Big East stage.
‘She’s always been a great player and a great athlete,’ Little said. ‘It’s awesome that she’s the No. 1 blocker in the nation.’
As the nation’s leading blocker leaves SU after the season, there will be major shoes to fill in the front row; Morton believes that Little will be up to the challenge.
‘I think she’ll do great things,’ Morton said. ‘I see her stepping up and being an All-Big East first team outside hitter. Anywhere (head coach Jing Pu) puts her, she’s going to do great.’
SU assistant coach Carol LaMarche agrees, believing Little’s versatile play will be vital in the makeup of the Syracuse offense over the next two years.
‘Erin is going to probably play all the way around and not get taken out like Sarah gets taken out in the back row,’ LaMarche said. ‘I do see her stepping up next year and being one of the main hitters.’
As far as this year goes, however, Little and Morton are trying to make the most out of their last season as teammates. Six years after these players first stepped on the court together, LaMarche believes that a major part of their success is directly linked to their high school playing days.
‘Both were great athletes and had been trained really well,’ LaMarche said. ‘They could both play all the way around. They had the techniques down and we just had to make minor tunings. That’s a good credit to (Gary Bynum) at Burnt Hills.’
