Leo Martinez-Valerio | staff writer

The Duquesne volleyball team opened up their season with three commanding wins at the Youngstown State University Invitational. They cruised to a 3-0 win in their first game versus Canisius, beating them 25-17 in the first set and 25-21 in the second and third sets.

The team combined for 49 total kills with 25 coming from YSU Invitational All-Tournament Team members Emersen Schrom and Karli Jordan. In addition to her 15 kills, the sophomore sensation Schrom was named tournament team MVP.

In game two, the Dukes rallied to their second 3-0 win against Youngstown State, with the sets being decided by a combined 9 points. Senior Ariel Helm contributed 8 of the team’s 11 blocks along with Junior Chloe Wilmot who posted 39 out of the total 43 assists.

After their two dominating wins on the 29th, the Dukes added one more win to the column on the 30th to finish a perfect weekend. The Dukes showed no mercy against Mercyhurst University in their third 3-0 win of the weekend. Hanna Wilson recorded 5 of the 14 total aces which was accompanied by Madison Grimm’s 9 digs. With three straight wins to open the season, Duquesne is off to their best start since 2012.

“Team chemistry is our biggest strength,” Jordan said. “We have a lot of seniors on our team so they have played together for a long time. They do a great job of integrating the freshmen into the team as well.”

This Dukes team has a perfect blend of experienced upperclassmen and talented freshmen. Jordan, a freshman at Duquesne, has made an immediate impact. Along with collecting all-tournament honors, the outside hitter from Frisco, Texas has already recorded double-digit kills, points and digs.

While it can sometimes be difficult to integrate new players on an already talented team, Duquesne has figured out their method for success. That doesn’t mean they can’t still improve, however.

“We can be on a roller coaster when it comes to energy, but I think we are getting better at it,” Jordan said.

“As long as we keep our energy up we will be good.”

With the season still in the early stages, Duquesne still has a lot to look forward to, including some important matchups creeping up on the schedule. The Dukes face off against Dayton twice this season, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 21.

The Flyers are currently ranked as the 25th best team in the country, giving the Dukes two matches to circle on their calendars. Three consecutive sweeps to start the season already looks good, but a top 25 win would put the finishing touches on Duquesne’s resume.

The Dukes travel to the windy city to take on inter-conference rival Loyola University Chicago in back-to-back games Oct. 10-11. The twin matchups are some of the most important games for the Dukes, as etching a strong regular season record can give the team enough confidence to perform well in the postseason.

“I’m really looking forward to the A-10s this year,” Helm said. “This is the year and I know we are gonna make it there. I’m looking forward to the journey of actually getting there, and then actually being able to experience the A-10s.”

Duquesne plays their entire A-10 schedule in the second half of the season, making consistency key for success in the postseason.

Both Dayton and Loyola Chicago have dominated the A-10 volleyball scene for the past 15 years, winning the conference 13 out of the past 15 years. Duquesne last captured greatness in 2013, when they were both the regular season and A-10 championship victors.

The volleyball team is back in action for their home opener on Sept. 5 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse to take on Loyola Maryland. The Dukes have a chance to have their best start to a season since 2011, where the Dukes opened at 6-0.

Leo Martinez-Valerio can be reached at martinezvaleril@duq.edu