Freshman Baylee Buleca started on the Point Park varsity women’s basketball team that is often reserved for upper classmen.

Buleca has not taken this for granted and absorbs this as well as reciprocates the experience while on the court.

Not short on skills, however, she is a welcome ally to her teammates that often find she brings out the best in their play.

Buleca was one of the highest scorers on her basketball team in high school. She left Franklin Regional with a total of 889 points. She also brought in 864 rebounds and 310 blocked shots in her high school career.

Buleca is an indispensable asset on the varsity team at Point Park.

While other schools were very interested in Buleca, she was sold on Point Park by its location and the coaching staff that she met while touring the campus.

“Coach Kay, my high school coach, asked me about the schools that I was considering and mentioned Point Park,” Buleca said. “I was considering other schools but upon visiting and meeting with the coaches, I decided it would be a really great place to go. The location is great and the team has a great record.”

With Buleca’s first season under her belt at Point Park, she found that she garnered the needed maturity and skill while playing with the new team to do well in the future.

Shaniya Rivers, a freshman shooting guard, recalled a time when Buleca restrained herself while maintaining the focus to score.

“One time, we were playing against Carlow University, and Buleca went to retrieve the ball after I tipped it and was trucked over by a girl on the other team,” Rivers said. “I went over to Buleca and told her to get up quickly and when she did, Buleca went to the foul line and made both shots.”

This is a far step forward from when Buleca was frightened to even step up to the foul line and attempt a shot.

“There was a time when I hated going to the foul line and taking shots. Everyone always reinforce you if you missed but it doesn’t help,” Buleca said. “I’d just be terrified to take foul shots and be under so much pressure. There was a time when I was taking a foul shot and completely bounced it off the backboard. It was really embarrassing.”

In high school, while transitioning from middle school athletics, Buleca was given a spot on the varsity team while all the other girls she once played with were on the junior varsity team.

Buleca’s current coach, Tony Grenek, has the utmost confidence in her play and supports her role in the team; however, he would also like to see her rise to the potential he knows Buleca can bring out within herself.

“Baylee started a few games for us due to Sam Weir’s injury, and she has a ton of potential,” Grenek said. “She runs the floor well. She needs to get stronger, work on her offensive moves and skill set and learn to play with more confidence and aggressiveness. The sky is the limit for her. I’m not sure she realizes how good she can be, but time will tell.”

Even though confidence has not always been Buleca’s strong suit, she is growing into it nicely and with vigor.

Buleca’s teammate Carly Forse has great expectations for the freshman.

“Buleca doesn’t know how good she could be,” Forse said. “If only she could only become more confident in her play.”

Buleca is fine with playing her favorite sport for the fun and comradery it brings out in her and the teammates she calls friends. While Buleca has aspirations to play in a tournament overseas, she is perfectly happy to have received her scholarship for all the hard work she has put into her tenure as a basketball player.