Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Bruno looks forward to ‘improve the program’

The Point Park University’s volleyball team had its second best season in team history last year, but that was not enough to prevent it from losing in the first round of the American Mideast Conference (AMC) playoffs.”Twenty-nine-to-10 is another stellar season for Point Park volleyball,” Director of Athletic Communications Kevin Taylor said in a phone interview. “One can only assume that they would continue to move forward. It seems like they make strides each and every year, and for the second straight year, they were among the top teams in the American Mideast Conference.” Despite the early loss in the AMC, sophomore defensive specialist Margaret Gillooly was impressed by the team’s progress in the 2010 season despite the fact that it  lost some players to injury. “With the group that we had, we put a lot of work into every practice and every game, and sometimes we came up short but other times we did very well,” Gillooly said in a phone interview. “And there’s always lots of room for improvement, and hopefully this season we can get even further than we did.” Despite the success the team had with the aforementioned 29 wins, every team can always find ways to improve. Head Coach Mike Bruno wants to continue to stress both consistency as well as pressure to perform in key situations. For Gillooly, she cites the popular “one game at a time” mantra that many head coaches preach.”We need to build a new attitude, with every game and every team that we face,” Gillooly said. Each off-season recruiting has been a big part of each team’s success, and Bruno said the team is behind this season, “due to the change in packaging student athletes.” The 2010 season is now behind the team, and the 2011 season is ahead in the fall, but Bruno has huge goals for his team. “I am looking forward to the opportunity of improving the program to the top of the AMC,” Bruno said in an electronic interview. As with all other sports, the fans are a big key to the team’s success, and this is especially true for the volleyball team. “We will be playing certain matches in the Student Center next year,” Bruno said. “I am really excited for the young ladies on the team to showcase their talents on campus in front of their peers.” The idea of playing in the Student and Convocation Center excited Gillooly. “With the new Student Center and the gym being on campus, it is really cool that we will get some home games there and have some of our peers and classmates and see us play,” Gillooly said. While Bruno enjoys the defensive aspect of volleyball, Gillooly prefers a specific part of the season. “My favorite part is the beginning of the year, when we start our preseason training, where everyone gets together again and we do a lot of workouts together,” Gillooly said. “Everyone starts playing with each other, and it just sets a new vibe for the team that will carry on through the whole season.” Both Bruno and Gillooly had their favorite memories from last season. Bruno cited the Sept. 4 three sets to zero home victory over Edinboro University of Pennsylvania as a “great milestone for our program.”Despite losing in the first round to Cedarville University three sets to zero, Gillooly enjoyed the AMC tournament.”My favorite memory from last season was when we got to go play in the AMC Tournament,” Gillooly said. “I think it’s really exciting to go up there and travel and see where the weekend takes you.”As previously mentioned, the 2011 volleyball season will officially begin in the fall, but Gillooly made a promise to the team’s fans.”[The team is] are going to work very hard this spring season, over the summer and during preseason, Gillooly said. “We are going to come back bigger and better next season.”                     

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Point Park Globe Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *