photo by Ty Smith
Freshman outside hitter Ashley Taylor spikes the ball during a game against IU Southeast on Sept. 5
Indiana University Southeast was gaining momentum, but do not tell Point Park volleyball libero Tabea Dalliard that.
Down 5-2 in game two of a Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) contest, Dalliard kept the Pioneers in it, diving all over the court and extending her body beyond the court.
“Those are the players that either change momentum, or continue to put the game out of reach,” head coach Mike Bruno said. “She’s a special player and fun to watch.”
Ultimately, Point Park would follow Dalliard’s lead and IU Southeast would not recover. The 3-0 Pioneers victory was one of four on the week.
Roxanne Grundmeier, one of three senior captains, was pleased with the 4-0 weekend and feels the team is getting better with each match.
“This weekend really brought our confidence back, especially after that losing streak,” said Grundmeier. “This was exactly what we needed to do. These wins are putting us on the right track and hopefully we can keep winning.”
The winning streak started at Kiski Area High School last Wednesday as part of the festivities of the fifth annual Jam the Gym, an event in memory of Jaime Moran who passed away from a third bout with leukemia.
There, Point Park defeated KIAC opponent Carlow University 3-0, ending a six-match losing streak, something that pleased Bruno.
“We just needed a match where we could recollect our confidence, play within ourselves and stop the landslide,” Grundmeier said.
The winning streak continued at the Battle of the Boulevard: Point Park-Carlow Crossover which featured wins against IU Southeast, Lawrence Tech and Cincinnati Christian.
Pioneer setter, Emily Meng, who has 306 assists on the season was pleased with the way the team played this weekend.
“We came back stronger than we have in the past few weeks,” Meng said. “Our energy is there, the talent is there and we’re getting to know how everyone is playing. We’re clicking a lot better than when we were traveling.”
Against IU Southeast, the Pioneers won 3-0 to win its second KIAC match of the season. Point Park had 35 kills for the match and Dalliard had 18 digs. Several of those came in game two, allowing Point Park to keep momentum.
“By saving all the balls I can, it’s a way I can help the team,” Dalliard said.
Grundmeier also was a key part of the team’s offense all weekend. She had 21 kills and has earned back the spot she had in last season’s starting lineup.
“My confidence has gone up so much, especially after starting again,” Grundmeier said. “Everyone else’s energy and trust in me just builds me up even more.”
Point Park extended its winning streak with victories against Lawrence Tech and KIAC opponent Cincinnati Christian on Saturday. Both were won three games to zero, meaning the Pioneers did not drop a game all week.
Highlights of the Saturday matches included Shiloh Simonson’s six service aces versus Lawrence Tech, the Pioneers winning the first game versus Cincinnati Christian 25-7 and Katie Baynum getting 10 kills in 15 total swings.
Point Park faced NCAA Division II opponent Edinboro University Tuesday. This weekend they travel away to face Alice Lloyd and Midway on Friday and Rio Grande on Saturday.
Meng is confident about the week ahead.
“We’re undefeated in [our] conference, and we’re so excited about everything now,” Meng said. “We can’t be stopped and we’re on top of our game now.”
