2014-Winter-DU-Magazine

Athletics Upd
ATHLETICS UPDATE
A November To Remember
The Department of Athletics completed its most
successful fall in school history with three teams winning
or sharing championships.
The women’s cross country team placed three runners
among the top 10 and six among the top 18 in winning
the team title at the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship in
Mechanicsville, Va., on Nov. 2.
It was the first women’s cross country Atlantic 10
championship in Duquesne history and the first A-10 title
for DU since the men’s cross country team won in 2005.
Senior Amber Valimont paced the Red and Blue,
finishing fourth in the 111-runner field with a time of
17:11.1. Following closely behind in sixth place was
fellow senior Haley Pisarcik, with a time of 17:18.7, while
rounding out the top 10 was freshman Valerie Palermo.
The trio was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference
Team, while Coach Tom Slosky was named the Atlantic 10
Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Two weeks later, the Duquesne football team defeated
Central Connecticut State at home to clinch a share of the
2013 Northeast Conference Football Championship. It was
the second co-championship in three years for the Dukes,
who finished the season 7-4 overall and 4-2 in NEC play.
Coach Jerry Schmitt’s Dukes have posted more overall
wins—and more conference wins—than any NEC school
over the past four seasons.
On Nov. 24, the DU volleyball team captured its firstever
Atlantic 10 title by defeating VCU, 3-1, at the Charles
E. Smith Center on the campus of The George Washington
University. With the win, the Dukes earned the A-10’s
automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
Junior Arielle Love tallied 21 kills and 10 blocks
in DU wins over Dayton and VCU, including 10 and
four respectively in the championship match to earn
Championship Most Outstanding Player honors.
She was joined on the All-Championship team by
sophomore setter Mary Henry and senior outside hitter
Marah Farage.
The Dukes, under A-10 Coach of the Year Steve
Opperman, finished 12-2 in regular season league play,
winning the title outright one match ahead of VCU.
40 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Winter ‘14