PITTSBURGH – In a debut to remember, the No. 15 Duquesne University acrobatics & tumbling team made a statement Friday night, taking down No. 3 Gannon, the reigning NCATA national runner-up, in a thrilling opener inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes edged out the Golden Knights 253.060-251.320, marking a historic start for the program.
Duquesne won four of six events but had to battle back from a narrow halftime deficit. The Dukes claimed their first lead of the meet by a slim 1.2-point margin after the tumbling event, setting up a dramatic finish. In the final team event, they outscored Gannon 87.41 to 86.87 to seal the victory.
QUOTABLE
"I am incredibly proud of the young women that just went out there and competed," Coach Soper said after the meet. "With a roster of primarily freshmen, it shows that they are cohesive, they are passionate and honestly we couldn't have asked for anything more tonight."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Gannon jumped out to an early two-point lead after the compulsory event, but Duquesne chipped away, edging the Golden Knights in the acro and pyramid events by less than a point each. Despite the Dukes' push, Gannon held a 90.45-89.70 advantage at halftime.
Five-element team of
Mia Dipner,
Abby Eberle,
Anna Trent and
Genevieve Muise combined for a 9.60 (out of 9.95) in the opening acro heat, outscoring their opponents by 1.2 points which led to Duquesne's first event win.
The Dukes kept rolling with a pair of 9.65 scores in the pyramid event. The inversion group — featuring
Jamie Bray,
Alia Ellis,
McKenna Fisher,
Abby McDermott, Dipner, and Muise — posted a 9.65 out of 10, while
Rebekah Hendley, Ellis, Fisher, Dipner, and McDermott matched that score with a 9.65 out of 9.90 in the open pyramid.
After the break, Gannon briefly regained control, stretching its lead to nearly two points with a 116.7-114.8 advantage following the toss event. Duquesne responded with a dominant performance in the tumbling event, earning a 50.85-47.75 win to take its first lead of the meet heading into the final round.
The Dukes closed out the tumbling portion of the meet with three straight nine-plus scores to surge in front.
Sienna Johnson landed a 9.050 out of 9.55 in the aerial pass,
Briella Unger recorded a 9.225 out of 9.75 in the six element pass, and
Claire Piper finished tumbling with a 9.325 out of 9.55 in the open pass.
The team event, a high-energy 2:45 routine showcasing all skills from the previous five events, proved to be the decider. With 24 student-athletes on the floor, the Dukes secured 87.41 points out of a possible 100.11, while Gannon ended with 86.87 out of 102.81 — clinching the historic first win.
THAT WINNING FEELING
"When they called out that 87 (after the team event to secure the win), we were just so ecstatic because we could feel our hard work paying off," said freshman
Abby Eberle.
Graduate student
Abby McDermott shared a similar sentiment. "It was definitely a hard-work-paying-off moment. We were just so grateful to be there, be all in, and do it for the person next to us."
NOTES
The DU roster features 31 freshmen on a 33-athlete roster ... Nearly 700 fans packed UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for the historic night, fueling a thrilling atmosphere for the program debut ... Gannon's start value totaled 290.314 possible points, while Duquesne entered the meet with 280.505 possible points.
HOW ABOUT THAT CROWD!?
"When I looked up after they hit the team event, we got a standing ovation. All of our Duquesne fans stood up, and there is no feeling like that," said Soper. "That was probably the best moment of my coaching career. There is nothing like Duquesne, and it's starting to pay off and show. We're just so excited to be a family here and continue to grow that family."
"It was something that I never felt before," said Eberle. "Coming from all-star cheerleading, there is a crowd aspect, but this was next level. We had so much support, and we really appreciate everyone that came out."
McDermott, one of the few Dukes with prior collegiate acrobatics experience, emphasized the resounding support. "This was just different than any other competition before," McDermott said. "The atmosphere, the fans, the whole team coming together — it was just a great feeling."
UP NEXT
The Dukes hit the road for a three-meet stretch, beginning Saturday (Feb. 15) at West Liberty. They return home on Tuesday, March 11, for a marquee matchup against nine-time national champion and No. 1-ranked Baylor at 6 p.m. inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. All home meets are free admission.
POST-MEET PRESS CONFERENCES
Head Coach Michaela Soper
Abby McDermott &
Abby Eberle
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow the Duquesne Acrobatics and Tumbling team all season online at
GoDuquesne.com and on
Twitter (X) and
Instagram (@duqacrotumb).
ABOUT ACROBATICS & TUMBLING
For more information on the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling, visit
TheNCATA.org.
