TENNIS : Seniors Harman, Parra prepare for last home match of season
The feeling is starting to sink in for Alessondra Parra and Emily Harman. By the end of this weekend, they will have played their last home matches in a Syracuse uniform.
For Parra, this weekend’s matches are a cold reminder that her time at SU is almost up.
‘I feel like my time at Syracuse has gone really quickly, and this is kind of a realization that it’s going to be over soon,’ Parra said.
After travel budget restrictions forced Army to cancel next Sunday’s match at Drumlins Tennis Center, this weekend’s home matches against Binghamton and Boston University will be the last for the senior duo. The last homestand is special for Harman and Parra as well as their young teammates. With an NCAA bid on the line in every remaining match, though, No. 47 SU (10-4, 5-1 Big East) has little time to reflect.
‘I got to spend time with Emily and Alessondra for two years now, so it’s going to be a very sensitive moment,’ sophomore Aleah Morrow said. ‘But, you know, we’re gonna go out there, be ready to compete, be ready to get the win.’
After a deflating 5-2 loss to then-No. 59 William & Mary on Feb. 24, head coach Luke Jensen decided to play Harman and Parra together at No. 1 doubles. The pair knocked off ranked doubles team Hanna Yu and Vicky Brook of then-No. 25 Yale to help the Orange register a historic victory.
The senior doubles tandem and the SU team haven’t lost since.
Having Harman and Parra at the top doubles spot strengthens the entire team. Jensen considers the veteran duo the ‘compass’ of the team.
Marrow usually plays No. 2 doubles with Maddie Kobelt on the next court over from Harman and Parra. Competing next to them gives her an extra dose of motivation, she said.
‘They show a lot of support, and you want to win for them,’ Marrow said. ‘You want to win for yourself obviously, but you want to win for them, too, because they’ve worked so hard.’
Even with the leadership of Harman and Parra, Jensen is wary of a ‘spring break hangover.’ The Orange hasn’t played since March 4, and last year’s results against this weekend’s opponents add little comfort. SU narrowly beat Binghamton 4-3 and lost to BU 6-1.
With a healthy and re-energized team, Jensen is looking to send Harman and Parra out in style. Doing so will require a quick start to this weekend’s matches, something the senior doubles team will have to help provide. Harman expects she and Parra will lead the way at No. 1 doubles once more.
‘To us, it’s a responsibility, something that we take very personally,’ Harman said. ‘… We want to lead them, and we want to really set the tone for the match. It’s something that we take personally and that we want to hold on our shoulders.’
When Harman and Parra ultimately graduate this fall, their absence will leave a void with the team. The two have combined for more than 200 wins in their four years at SU, but their biggest contribution to the program has been intangible.
Marrow said the seniors have shown their younger teammates how to play ‘the Orange way.’ Leading vocally and by example, Harman and Parra have instilled what Jensen calls ‘Orange energy’ in the rest of the team.
Heading into the first of SU’s last four matches, the Orange’s final home match of the season represents the end of the seniors’ careers at Drumlins and the excitement that comes with the conclusion of their historic careers.
‘It’s going to be a weird feeling, but I’m excited to close a very proud chapter of my life and open up a brand-new one,’ Harman said.
