photo by Chris Squier
Freshman defensive specialist, Tabea Dalliard, gets into her ready position during a game.

Swiss native Tabea Dalliard was dreaming about her future in volleyball when she was told about opportunities in American college athletics. 

 Before she knew it, Seattle University offered her a scholarship, but due to a transcript problem, she was declared ineligible by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and ended up enrolling at Point Park.

 Just a semester later, Dalliard has become a star player at Point Park, earning numerous honors and helping Point Park to its first conference championship.

 “I expect in the coming years for my team and I, that we will improve… as a team and I want to go to nationals every year,”  Dalliard said. 

 The sports, arts, and entertainment management major’s hometown is in Morel-Filet, Switzerland, where her two brothers and volleyball-playing parents await her return home for break. 

While she enjoyed playing volleyball along with dance, soccer and piano, she realized at a young age that she had potential in volleyball.

 At 16-years old, the libero defensive-specialist left home to play on one of the most competitive teams in Switzerland, a major boost to her career.

 “My coach asked me after practice, ‘Do you want to play in the Highest League? I am coaching and I will take you with me…’” Dalliard said, still in disbelief at her rare opportunity. “I was like ‘What…Yes, I’m coming wherever!’”

 The young woman packed her things and moved to northern Switzerland where she quickly had to learn French, the dominant language in the region. 

Today, Dalliard speaks Swiss-German, which is her native language, German, English and French. 

 Dalliard struggled as she tried to keep up in class, craning her neck over desks in an attempt to follow along.

 She also struggled on the court, being the youngest player on a team made up of professional athletes.

 “I was calling my mom the first day and was like ‘Mom, I can’t do this, I don’t understand anything, I can’t do this,’” Dalliard said.

 She pushed through with the support of her family, and became friends with some American players on her team who told her about college athletics in America.

 Dalliard was soon filling out the paperwork she needed to play at Seattle University, a Division I NCAA school.

 In March of 2014, Dalliard received a call from her recruiter telling her that due to transcript complications, she would not be eligible to play for Seattle that fall.

 That’s when she came into contact with Livia Caluori, a former Point Park volleyball player also from Switzerland, who recruited her for Point Park.

 “It was such a shock for me, I only had a short amount of time… It felt right,” Dalliard said. “I thought, ‘Eh– why not?’”

 Her arrival to Pittsburgh was not as difficult as her first trip away from home. 

Dalliard had been dreaming about her collegiate career in America since she first heard about it and agrees that everything about Point Park is living up to those expectations—well, almost everything. 

The athlete’s only complaint is that the cafeteria food can’t compete with her mother’s home cooking.

 On the volleyball court, Dalliard played a crucial role to her team’s success this year as the libero. She was named the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) Volleyball Player of the Week (Sept. 1-7), KIAC Second Team All-Conference and was nominated for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Player of the Week (Sept. 1-7).

 Volleyball coach Mike Bruno believes that her experience and talent are what led to her success at Point Park.

 “Tabea brings a wealth of high level international playing experience to our program… She is an extremely gifted defensive player,” said Bruno.

 Senior teammate Olivia Fisher believes it was her spirit and instinct that contributed to their success.

 “Whenever you do something good she always gives you positive feedback… [she] makes digs that change the momentum of the games,” said Fischer.

 Now a recognized KIAC player, Dalliard stays true to character and is determined and optimistic for the coming years with her team.

 “I was proud of making all-conference in my first year and with Ashley and Shiloh by my side, it shows me that we can do better every year,” Dalliard said after their season ended.

 Now that she has conquered her first semester in college, what does she plan to do next?

 Dalliard laughed, “You never know, anything can happen. I don’t want to think of it yet. I just want to enjoy these four years and then I’ll think about it.”