The volleyball team is already off to one of the best starts they have ever had, and we are only eight matches into the season.

I will admit, I was questioning the team this year with big names like Ashley Taylor, Jordan Dixon, Morgan Dangelo, Destiny Tucker and Erica Gumz being lost to graduation.

They could not be proving me more wrong.

They started off 2-0 after the first day of the Michigan-Dearborn Early Bird tournament, but dropped one of two during the second day.

The Pioneers then went to the annual Emileigh Cooper Memorial Classic, a tournament in which they have participated in for years. This time, they achieved a feat which they had never done before: they went undefeated. This, of course, led to a tournament win for the green and gold.

(To read more in depth about the ongoings of their win, you can read our Editor-in-Chief Dara Collins’ piece on it to the right.)

Last year, I mentioned how the underclassmen – the current roster – would need to really step things up if they wanted to get out of the quarterfinal loss rut that they had been stuck in for the past few seasons, and so far I am pleasantly surprised.

Seniors Julia Menosky and Brittney Bianco have led the charge of this young team, with juniors Jazlyn Rozier and Jada Jones helping to round out the core of leaders.

A strong group of newcomers has helped deepen the bench behind head coach Bridget Bielich and new assistant coach (and one of those names we’ll be missing on the court this year) Destiny Tucker.

One highlight of the newbies is Maria Ferragonio, a senior transfer student from Eastern Kentucky University, who has already proven her spot on the court.

I do not want to jump the gun, but I think there is a talented group of women on our student center gym court this year, and I can not wait to see how they perform in the conference.