Sacred Heart women’s volleyball team rallied together for a win against Niagara University in a Student Appreciation game on Sept. 26.
| Jayden Hunter, Photo Editor |
“Playing in front of the students during the Student Appreciation Game was truly a blessing. It has been nothing but fun to play in front of a crowd like ours and to represent SHU,” said junior Miliani Villarreal.
The Pioneers have continued to show their competitiveness and individual performances as they move through their season.
“I would say our season has been nothing but amazing! There has been so much as a team for us to work on, learn from, and continue to grow. It’s been super fun getting to work with athletes we have on our team,” said Villarreal.
These girls have continued to improve throughout the season, building on playing with confidence and consistency. The early games of the season have allowed the team to learn from simple mistakes and improve in certain areas.
“At this point of the season, we know what we need to do. It comes down to refining our skills and continuing to work on improving our execution,” said head coach Rob Machan.
The game against Canisius University on Sept. 25 was one of the first stepping stones into the start of the season. Sacred Heart beat Canisius 3-0, with the Pioneers starting by using an 11-point rally to build an 18-10 lead and continue to strive.
Villarreal led the team with 17 digs and 6 assists; sophomore setter Addy Franz had 32 assists, 10 digs, 3 aces, and 2 kills; freshman Renata Montini had 11 kills, a .524 attack percentage, and 2 digs; and sophomore Abbie Hagedorn had 11 kills, 3 aces, 2 assists, and 1 block.
“One thing that we did well against Canisius was staying patient and staying composed throughout the game. We always talk about how it’s important for our team’s success to keep our composure and be patient with the situations we are given,” said Villarreal.
While Villarreal was more focused on how the team was able to regain self-control and be patient with the outcomes, Machan shared how he felt during the game, and the team was able to stay focused on the end goal.
“That was an uneven match with a lot of stoppages for reviews and challenges. I thought our team did a great job maintaining their focus. Canisius is a very good team, especially being at home, and to come away from that trip with two wins is a great way to start conference play,” said Machan.
With the women’s volleyball team continuing their season, the students have been able to watch the team grow and compete while also being able to show up to games and support the
team. For those students who regularly follow the team, the atmosphere in the Pitt Center kept the season more exciting and entertaining.
“From a student perspective, it has been exciting to watch the team continue to build their success over the past few seasons. The games at the Pitt Center also give the students a chance to come together and support the team,” said junior Sara Giacchi.
The Pioneers wrapped up the weekend with a 1-1 record against Merrimack College and Quinnipiac University. On Friday, Oct. 2, the Pioneers defeated Merrimack, 3-0. On Saturday, Oct. 3, Sacred Heart fell to Quinnipiac, 3-0.
Athletic Communications contributed to this article
