photo by Ty Smith
Shiloh Simonson is a sophomore starter on the Pioneer Volleyball team at Point Park University. This is her second year on the team.
When she first started playing beach volleyball in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Shiloh Simonson excelled as an outside hitter. Shortly after she began playing, her family moved to Peters Township, where Simonson finished high school. Before she chose Point Park, she caught the eye of college recruiters in North Carolina, Florida, and places like Seton Hill near Greensburg.
Simonson would have received scholarships if she chose to apply to those schools, but by the end of her recruiting period she decided on Point Park for two reasons. First, she wanted to remain close to her parents, and second, she felt herself bonding with Coach Mike Bruno.
“I chose Point Park because my parents are really big fans and they love to come watch me play, since I live nearby,” Simonson said.
She was interested in playing for Point Park because of Coach Bruno’s handling of his team.
“Coach Bruno caught my attention. He is the father figure of the team, and he has daughters of his own,” Simonson said. “He looks out for us, and I look to him as someone that I can talk to about anything.”
The reason Point Park was interested in Simonson was because she led her high school team in Washington County into the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) during her senior year of high school. She was a two year captain and four year letter winner. Simonson was voted to the second team of the WPIAL class AAA all-star team. She also played floater for the Pittsburgh Elite, on an under 18 premier team that made it to nationals in Dallas, Texas.
She blossomed on the court and in the classroom during her second season at Point Park. Simonson now wants to cement her place in Point Park volleyball lore.
The 5’8” outside and defense player who is majoring in sports, art, and entertainment management (SAEM) earned playing time as a freshman on the team that made it to the semi-finals of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) tournament last year, where her responsibilities increased as the season went on.
Now Coach Bruno says her hard work is paying off. “She is a complete volleyball player. She’s the only kid who plays all six rotations, she’s becoming the face of the program,” Coach Bruno said.
She is dedicated to volleyball and it shows on the court. Her strength is her jump serve. “She’s a great kid, she’ll sacrifice anything for the team, she’s a hard worker, and we are fortunate to have her,” Bruno said.
Keeping her position on the team did not come easy. “It was great playing as a freshman, such a humbling experience, because it showed me how hard you have to work for something you want,” Simonson said. “Earning my position did not come easy, and keeping it was even harder. I was just happy to be seeing the court as a freshman.”
Seeing how hard it was to play as a freshman, Simonson stepped up her game to become stronger than ever her sophomore year.
Simonson was elated to play in an exhibition match with alumni Lindsey Oberacker, who graduated two years ago. Simonson met Oberacker when they played the match and they immediately bonded. “It was like she never missed a beat,” Simonson said. “She is such a talented player and I would’ve done anything to have been able to play with her!”
The team got to play with her and a few other graduates for about an hour. Oberacker noticed how Simonson stands out from the other players. “Shiloh never gave up on the court, and she doesn’t always get easy sets, even when she’s struggling you can’t tell. She keeps her spirit up,” Oberacker said.
Simonson looks up to Oberacker, and took a lot away from playing with her, and watching her play. “Every time I see her, she says ‘you’re so good’ and say Shiloh, you are better than me. She is the face of the organization and a good person on and off of the court,” Oberacker said.
Oberacker has a lot in common with Simonson. Obercracker was an outside hitter for the Pioneers, had 1,459 career kills and was ranked fifth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 2011. Oberacker was also featured as an NAIA honorable mention All-American player. She led the team when she played for the Pioneers, just as Simonson does now.
Simonson’s talent is not the only thing that is noticed by her coach and teammates. She is also known for her caring and thoughtful personality.
“As a person she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She is one of the nicest and most genuine [people] anyone could ever talk to and always puts people before herself,” said junior teammate Isabella Vaverek.
Simonson has a bright future ahead of her, especially in volleyball. “She can do crazy incredible things,” Oberacker said. “She will have the opportunity to play for a club team in Europe, or coach a team.”
“She is the pulse of the team, and they feed off of her play,” said Bruno.
