After having a rough time at the Cornell Invitational, which concluded in a 0-3 loss to Buffalo, the volleyball team is heading further upstate in hopes of acquiring a win. The Red will play Syracuse tonight at 7 p.m. at the Manley Field House in Syracuse, N.Y., hoping to improve its 2-7 record.

The Orange (9-4) came to Newman Arena last September for the 2008 home opener, trouncing the Red 3-0 in the teams’ only matchup of the season.

“They have a few key hitters that are very quick and are very dynamic offensively, so we’ll have to keep track of them,” said head coach Sarah Bernson. “A good test for us will be that those hitters are on the outside, middle and right, so we’re not able to key in on just one position.”

Bernson noted that the Red’s experience playing the Orange in the past will help the team catch its opponent off guard.

In addition, Bernson said that the Red is working on its passing and ball control, as the team had some troubles with this during the Invitational. These passing problems were most prominent when the Red was facing Colgate –– a match that ended in a 3-1 Cornell loss.Bend and snap: Head coach Sarah Bernson hopes senior co-captain Megan Mushovic will play a prominent offensive role in tonight’s contest against Syracuse.

“We’ll need to be really consistent in our offense,” Bernson said, noting that the passing troubles inhibited the Red’s ability to execute its offense effectively. “Blocking is going to be key here.”

Bernson wants a focus on ball control and setting distribution as part of this offensive strategy. Again, the biggest concern will be consistency in ball allocation.

She mentioned that the Red’s strength include the team’s scrappiness, which is the ability to keep plays alive out on the court. One player she recommends looking out for is senior co-captain libero Megan Mushovic. Bernson hopes Mushovic will have a big night in terms of digs and hitting.

“We want to prove ourselves,” Mushovic said, expressing the team’s positive outlook and determination heading into this match.

Because the Red has played the Orange before, the territory is not as unfamiliar as it was with the teams from the Invitational.

“They’re a tough opponent, but we know them,” she said. “They’re feisty, and I hope we can rise to the challenge.”

Some things the Red needs to improve upon, according to Mushovic, include being more aggressive and making the opposition feel intimidated.

Freshman outside hitter Deveney Pula, who was both overwhelmed and surprised when she earned all-tournament honors this past weekend, echoed this sentiment.

“Our strategy’s going to be to take them out of their system,” Pula said.

But in addition to the Orange being out of its system, the Red needs to work more on being in its own.

“We’ve been playing really well as a team these past few [matches] and have been losing by only three or four points each game,” Pula said. “The team needs to work more on doing the extra little things –– like making sure you get further back and getting into your right spot –– and it’s these little things that will help us win.

“We’re going to play calmly and not let the other team get under our skin,” Pula added.

Going in with a mindset to actively unsettle the Orange and trying to target the shortcomings that the Red displayed in previous games, the energy of the team appears to be very positive and prepared for this last match before Ivy League play begins.

“The team’s energy is good because we want to improve upon this past weekend of play, and we think this is a great opportunity to work things out before we play Ivy,” Bernson said.