A Steady Hand at the Helm

PITTSBURGH -- The bright arena lights give off a blinding glare as they reflect on the shiny boards of the court. Shoes squeak, people shout, and the unmistakable thwack of a volleyball cuts through the air. The ball flies over the net at breakneck speed. Someone shouts "I got it!", and the libero digs it out with the tip of her finger. The ball pops to the setter, who sends it spinning to the outside hitter. The girl winds up with her whole body, ready to slam the ball into the opposing team's floor. Bam! The ball hits a wall, and ricochets back to the floor where it came from. The wall: built by none other than senior middle blocker Ariel Helm. 

With a loud voice, standing at 6 feet tall, Helm sticks out from the crowd of players. With her final season having drawn to a close, she leaves behind a trail of broken records and a Duquesne volleyball program that will not soon forget her name. 

While her passion and effort may be formidable, they weren't always directed toward volleyball. Helm was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing soccer and basketball in addition to volleyball. 

"Recruiting was hard," Helm said, "just because ... my first year of club was my 16s season and most kids start volleyball at 12, like they start playing club at 12. And I was also doing recruiting for basketball at the same time." 

Helm was playing AAU basketball, but she joined a club volleyball team when she decided to get serious about playing in college. Choosing volleyball allowed her to dedicate all of her passion to developing her skills, which became very noticeable when she broke two Duquesne program records in her senior year. 

"I knew it was coming up but it was like 'Okay, let's not think about it' because I feel like the more I think about it, the more it didn't happen." 

Helm became the all-time program leader in block assists on Nov. 9, 2025, against Davidson. Just five days later, on Nov. 14, 2025, she became the all-time program leader in blocks, against George Washington. 

"Going into the season, that was a goal that I had set myself, to break those records,” she said, “So, getting to do that was very, I would say, rewarding as well." 

For Helm, though, it's not just about individual accolades.

This year was also the first year that the team qualified for the A-10 playoffs while her class was at Duquesne. For conference play, the Dukes play each other school twice, usually two days in a row.

"This season, we just had a mindset of 'We're gonna win the first day, we're gonna win the second day, too'", said Helm. "It's not like we're going to mess around and split with a team. We need to beat them twice."

Not only does Helm leave a legacy of formidable play and program records, she also leaves the influence of her leadership on the team.

"She was always a good teammate in club," said Duquesne head volleyball coach Steve Opperman, " ... and talking with her club coaches, she was one of those kids that, you know, really wanted to win and tried to will those people around her to win as well." 

Helm also describes herself as a competitive person. 

"I'm usually just in the mindset of 'Here we go, 0-0, let's go, let's crush these girls', like we can win," said Helm. "Like honestly, we can win any game. "

As a captain, it is Helm's job to lead the team, and she does so with the same passion with which she plays the game. 

"I'm the type of person that says what people think," said Helm, "Like that don't want to say it, but it needs to be said." 

Helm's leadership style has definitely had an impact on the underclassmen. 

"I remember her in particular. I was like 'Oh, I'm going to like her'," said sophomore outside hitter Emerson Schrom about Helm, "because the first day we walked in the gym, she brought super intense energy, like a competitive energy, but she was never mean or unwelcoming. It was always like a very supportive, but focused energy." 

Helm feels that she has really grown throughout her time at Duquesne. 

"I've always been very vocal, but I think it's been nice to see that growth. Knowing that it's not just me, that it's not just about myself, that there's other people, who, not that I'm in charge, but that I kind of have to pick up as well." 

Her leadership mindset is apparent to teammates as well. 

"She was always the person to push the level in the gym," said Schrom, "and hold people accountable when you weren't necessarily there mentally ... but she never really made you feel bad if you were making physical errors; it was more like a mental thing. She was always making sure that we were focused and on point." 

Outside of volleyball, Helm is also a student in the business school. She is majoring in marketing with a concentration in professional selling and a minor in entrepreneurship. After graduation, she plans to either go to law school or go straight into medical device sales. 

"Whatever I'm going to be doing," said Helm, "I want to be selling something." 

In addition to her classes, she is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the sales team and the American Marketing Association. In her limited free time, she also enjoys shopping, particularly for clothes. 

Even though her volleyball career at Duquesne has come to a close, Ariel Helm has big plans for the future. She leaves behind a legacy, but even more than that, she brings with her the passion, hard work, and willingness to speak her mind. The traits that propelled her to greatness on the volleyball court will surely bring her success after graduation. 

"I just think she had a really nice career here," said Opperman, "Like I said, she left her mark ... she helped raise that level of competitiveness and that actual drive to be good in our gym."