Victor Morton remembers the first time he saw his daughter play competitive volleyball.

In a scrimmage her freshman year at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School in Glenville, N.Y., Sarah Morton leaped into the air for a kill. She cocked back her right hand and swung. But the loud smack that usually accompanies a Sarah Morton swing did not echo through the gym. Instead, she whiffed, and the ball fell harmlessly to the floor.

Since then, Victor Morton has seen freshmen who whiffed grow into a dominant force in the middle of Syracuse’s lineup.

After today’s game at Binghamton, Sarah will have one more regular season contest left in her career at Syracuse University. Her family will make the two-hour trek from Burnt Hills to Syracuse for the 54th and final time, when the Orange plays Villanova Friday at 7 p.m. in Manley Field House.

After that, Morton’s regular season collegiate career will be over.

‘Sarah Morton is one of those athletes that comes by every once in a while, and I’m glad that I got to see her play for four years and grow over those four years,’ assistant coach Carol LaMarche said.

During her four years at Syracuse, Morton has become one of the greatest players to ever wear an Orange uniform. The senior co-captain currently leads the nation with 169 total blocks and 51 solo blocks. She set the Syracuse all-time career record in both categories earlier this year. She also leads the team this season in kills (348) and service aces (37).

Victor Morton has been in the stands for nearly every one of the blocks, kills and aces throughout her four years. He has missed just one of the 54 home games she’s played, and that was because he went to his son’s senior night football game. He’s even traveled as far as Louisville, Ky., to see her play. Her grandparents have gone as far as Texas.

For Morton’s dad, the records don’t come as a big surprise. He said he ‘knew she was great’ ever since watching her dominate a state tournament game in her sophomore year of high school.

The younger Morton said she would rather focus on winning games than talking about her records. Her dad said the records’ significance will probably hit her in a couple years.

‘I don’t think she’s thinking of it now, but five or 10 years from now, when the records are still there,’ he said. ‘Then it will sink in how special it was, and how wonderful of an opportunity she had to be here and do well.’

And now, that time at Syracuse is coming to a close. Victor Morton will no longer be at every home game for the Orange. He will not be switching seats in the stands after each set to get a better view of his daughter on the court. His trademark orange long-sleeve shirt with ‘#2 is my daughter’ written on the back may sink to the back of his closet.

The younger Morton said she’s trying to block that out of her mind heading into her final match of the season.

‘It’s always in the back of your mind, but you try not to think about it,’ Morton said. ‘You want to keep as many games as you can. We want to keep going.’

Morton and senior co-captain Kacie MacTavish have become close friends. They have been roommates for the past three years. MacTavish has already tried out for the Canadian beach volleyball team and plans to play in Canada after she graduates. Morton wants to play in Europe. That will put an entire ocean between Morton and her best friend, not to mention her entire family.

Her dad said the family would try to go overseas to see Morton play as much as possible. Still, that will be exceedingly more difficult than the two-hour drive down Interstate 90.

Victor Morton loves watching volleyball. He loves watching his daughter play volleyball. But after this year, he will have to take a lengthy plane ride to do so.

‘It will be real tough. We see her all the time. We see her every weekend,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be tough. We’re going to miss her.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on November 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm