In the first three years of his tenure at Syracuse, Luke Jensen led his teams to a 38-30 record with Big East tournament results worthy of a mid-level conference team. Before the SU head coach’s fourth season at the helm, he searched for something to help this team surpass the bar set by his former players.

He found Eleanor Peters.

Peters, a senior transfer from Maryland, has been a major factor in SU’s 13-2 start, the best mark at this point in a season since Jensen took over as head coach. Playing at the No. 3 singles position since Feb. 27, the senior Peters has a team-best 14-2 singles record and has eased any doubts about her ability to handle the tough transition to a new school.

‘I can’t imagine how tough that must be, going into your senior year transferring and going into a whole new culture, but she’s been fantastic,’ Jensen said. ‘For us, to have a talented player and person like Eleanor Peters was a dream come true.’

Peters was an unlikely arrival at Syracuse, as she entered Maryland after being ranked No. 1 in the country as a 16-year-old and No. 4 in 18-and-under.   

But an ankle injury during her junior year cut her time short, and she left the Terrapins with only two full years of experience and an unsure future. Jensen had only taken one transfer in his coaching career, but there was something that seemed to fit with Peters.

‘I was playing in professional tournaments over the summer and I ran into the Syracuse team,’ Peters said. ‘I thought it was amazing that the whole team was there together, and I started talking to Coach Jensen about his goals. He’s the main reason I transferred here, because he’s so positive and supportive.’

Despite her excitement with her new team, ankle surgery sidelined her for four months before the season started. She said that doctors told her she might not be able to play at all this year, so she had no expectations for the success that she has had to this point and how much she would be able to help the team.

‘I think she came in humbled because she had a lot of stuff to work on, like getting healthy, getting her physical fitness back and finding her game,’ Jensen said. ‘She came here understanding that she was going to have to put in a lot of hard work. She’s done that, and it’s reflected in her results. It’s reflected in the way the team has rallied around her.’

While Peters was working her way back into top form, she was also building chemistry with her new teammates. She plays doubles as well, and Jensen tried her out with two different partners before finding the right combination.
   
Peters has competed in the last seven doubles matches with sophomore Alessondra Parra, and the two have played outstanding of late. Her last win against Binghamton bumped her doubles record to 12-2, and the Peters-Parra pair has won six matches in a row.
   
‘I love playing with everyone on the team, but I really enjoy Peters in terms of a functional partner because we work really well together,’ Parra said. ‘We seem to know how each other are going to play, so it makes it easier for me to anticipate plays.’
   
Jensen said that Peters means more to the Orange than just her individual accomplishments. She has established herself as a force that every opponent has to prepare for, and that effectively makes her a leader.
   
Her leadership by example not only intimidates opponents, but it also provides encouragement and confidence for her teammates.

‘When you have someone who’s going to win every time, and you can put that point in your column, it makes a huge difference,’ Jensen said. ‘That’s a huge part of our success this year because every time we roll out, we’re up already because Eleanor Peters is on the court.’
   
As a result of her success and with the help of Jensen, Peters might finally be able to achieve her dream after she graduates from SU.
   
‘I’ve been playing tennis for 10 years, and my goal has always been to play after college,’ Peters said. ‘Now it seems like that’s going to be able to happen.’

jakrakow@syr.edu