Thursday night, the Point Park Pioneer women’s volleyball team aimed to secure its first win in the Mountain East Conference against the 4-4 Davis & Elkins Senators. 

“Going into the game, our strategy was to focus on our side and play our game,” sophomore Mia Arndt said. “We wanted to keep the energy high and play for each other.”

The game took place in the Student Center, where the Pioneer fans showed up to support the team, making a significant difference in the contest. Senior Rachele Tessari described the fans’ support during the game. 

“Personally, the crowd had an incredible impact on our game, Tessari said. “Knowing that you have friends cheering on you is always nice and having them so close, has a positive impact on the result.”

The excitement from the crowd was palpable, according to Tessari. The Pioneers were able to feed off the crowd’s energy and have fun. Tessari also said that the strong showing from the PPU crowd also hindered the Senators’ performance. 

In the first set, the Pioneers were able to get off to a great start, having the advantage with a close score of 25-22. Arndt said that the first set was crucial. 

“Winning the first set really gave us the confidence that we needed to keep pushing and maintain the lead throughout the entire match,” Arndt said. “The energy that came from that first set carried all the way through the game.”

However, nothing could top the pure chaos that occurred in the second set of this matchup. It was a back-and-forth affair throughout this entire contest, and this second set proved that to be true. The set featured eight extra points to decide a winner. As each tiebreaker went on, the crowd became more intense and excited while players on both sides grew anxious. It was entertaining to watch but seemed nerve-wracking to play. 

Arndt has been in a situation like this before. “When we played at the Cal Invitational, we went back and forth until 34 points in the second set and 29 points in the third set against Bloomsburg,” Arndt said.

The Pioneers won the second set with a score of 33-31, and Tessari said it was a high-intensity game. “On one hand, there was the ‘fear’ of losing the set after all the effort and fatigue that led to 33 points,” Tessari said. “On the other, there was the undeniable desire to finish. Once again, I felt that the crowd gave us a tremendous motivation to win. Despite the seven set points for the other team, we did not stop believing for a second, and in the end, our perseverance paid off.”

The Pioneers were on the brink of winning their first Mountain East Conference game and were poised to achieve it in style with a sweep over the Senators. After a long second set, the Pioneers were determined to end the game in three sets. Meanwhile, the Senators appeared lost and tired after failing to close out the second set. The Pioneers continued their stellar play throughout the third set and emerged victorious with a 25-22 set win, completing the sweep over the Senators.

The Pioneers improved to 2-8 overall and 1-0 in conference play, hitting .147 in the match with 48 kills compared to 27 errors. Mia led the Pioneers in digs with 21, while Giulia Follador led the way with 19 kills.

There is no question that this was a huge victory for the Pioneers, as both Arndt and Tessari expressed. 

“I hope this win will help us understand what we are capable of, believe in ourselves as a team, have more fun, and bring us closer together,” Tessari said. “The atmosphere created and the game itself were moments of collective happiness and a first step toward a good season. We also hope it inspires more people to come and cheer for us. We’re now ready to get back to the gym and work even harder.”

The Pioneers have two important conference games this week, hosting Frostburg State at the student center on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and Wheeling University at home on Friday at 7 p.m.

Arndt hopes that this won match can be a motivator for the team. “We will keep working hard, always with the intent of playing for each other and giving 100% every day,” Arndt said. “We have two big conference games this week that we are preparing for.”