Maria Tritou stood up straight on the baseline, her body angled slightly to the side. She gripped the tennis ball in one hand and her racket in the other. Her slim, 6-foot frame stood out from the rest of the players during the team’s singles matches against Notre Dame on Sunday. She stared down at her opponent, who was 5 inches shorter than her, threw the ball up and hit an ace.

“(My height) helps with my serve. It’s a big advantage for me,” Tritou said. “You can serve, get the point and dictate (the game) more easily.”

No. 24 Syracuse (8-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) escaped a close game on Sunday against then-No. 30 Notre Dame (8-4, 3-1 ACC), and Tritou was one of four players to contribute a point in the win. She also won her doubles match, which secured the doubles point for the Orange.

SU landed the team inside ITA’s Top 25 rankings for the first time in program history. Tritou’s 6-2 record from the No. 4 singles spot has helped Syracuse earn that ranking. The freshman is also the tallest Syracuse player — only one teammate comes within 3 inches of Tritou.

Her height aids her serve and allows her to cover more ground. Having the extra inches helps her hit the ball higher and at a deeper angle. Because of this difference, it’s harder for opponents to return the serve.

“(Maria) has a very strong serve, one of the best on the team,” head coach Younes Limam said. “She uses her height and generates a lot of pace on her strokes. Being tall definitely gives her an advantage to hit harder, dictate the points, and really play on her terms.”

Not only does her height help her on serves, but it does let her dictate the pace of each point.

Against Notre Dame’s 5-foot-7 Mary Cross on Sunday at Drumlins Country Club, Tritou gained an early lead. To prevent Cross from creeping back into the match, Tritou hit quick forehands and backhands across the baseline. Tritou’s lengthy arms allowed her to reach many tough returns from Cross.

She kept her feet balanced and directed a backhand that sailed past Cross. A loud “point!” came out of Tritou’s mouth. She eventually knocked her opponent off 6-3, 6-2.

“She’s an offensive player,” Limam said. “She relies on her forehand and backhand. She’s not more of a counter-puncher — she likes to generate the pace.”

While there are many benefits that come with her height, Tritou admits sometimes her height sometimes holds her back. She said she can’t run as fast as some shorter players, but is working on it.

Tritou’s height might slow her down a bit on the court, but, largely, it has helped her this season.

“Being tall is definitely serving her well,” Limam said. “… (The coaching staff) just tries to maximize their strengths and remind them of what they do well.”

Published on March 1, 2016 at 10:18 pm

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco