The Pioneers started off their week in what looked like a challenging matchup against the Pitt-Johnstown Cougars. The Cougars are a d2 talent and had a 10-4 record going into this game. The Pioneers, on the other hand, were 3-11 going in. On paper, this looked like it was going to be a rough night in an already-rough season. The Pioneers were firing from all cylinders in the first set. The attacks were on point and the Pioneers took set one convincingly 25-13. The Pioneers displayed their talent in this set.
Set two was more humbling. The Pioneers lost set two 25-23. Yes, it was a losing set, but The Pioneers played well, just not the way they did in set one.
Momentum changed in set three, with the Pioneers going winning 25-17. This put the Pioneers in a winning position, sitting at set point. With how the season has been so far, this was a huge opportunity to add to the win column.
Set three was the Pioneers’ set, though the Cougars showed a fight. Both teams at points went back and forth, but the Pioneers were able to maintain their lead and win set four, 25-20. The final score was 3-1 in favor of the Pioneers. This win was a huge upset and the Pioneers looked incredible the whole night. Eden McElhaney looked like she was in peak form with a relentless 16 kills by the end of the game. Marcella Erichsen was a huge contributor with nine kills of her own. Wallace shined in the assist column with 22 on the night. The whole team should be credited for an impressive victory.
The Pioneers continued their week in a matchup at home vs the Indiana Southeast Grenadiers. After coming off of a huge win earlier in the week, the Pioneers hoped to continue their momentum. In set one, the Grenadiers had control at the start, but The Pioneers kept fighting, and managed to keep this set close. It was a little too late, as the set ended 25-20, with The Pioneers falling short.
Set two was a better start for the Pioneers, as they got a hold of an early lead. As time went on, Indiana Southeast fought and fought, managed to shrink the lead and win. This set ended 25-23, with the Pioneers down 2-0.
The Pioneers shined at moments in this game and looked like they could potentially make a comeback. Haley Stormer and Amanda Contois caught fire on multiple occasions and got huge kills within the matchup. This was not enough, as Indiana Southeast gained a hot streak late in set three, winning 25-22. This was one of those games where you could play well but still couldn’t quite get over that hump. Stormer ended with 8 kills, Amanda Contois with the same. Defensive specialist Mia Arndt made highlight plays and ended with 9 digs. The difference makers in this game were the attacks, as Indiana Southeast just had a better approach.
The Pioneers ended their week playing against Midway at home. All three sets were the same. The team in control all night was Midway. Point Park had two rough nights in a row when it came to their attacks. Point Park had more or around the same amount of attacks as their opponent, yet ended with less K’s and more errors. The errors are something that the Pioneers have looked to fix all season long, with service errors being a huge struggle all year. The Pioneers were swept in their matchup vs Midview. Ashlynn Gulakowski set up her teammates well but consistently showed her veteran approach, with some sneaky backhand kills all season to pair with her assists.
The Pioneers will continue their season, playing two home games on Friday, October 13 vs IUPUC and Saturday, October 14 vs Indiana East.
