Pitt
Villanova
PITT VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO VILLANOVA IN CLOSE FIVE-GAME SET
10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 1, 2006
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Pitt volleyball team played hard today as they reached 30 points in the first three games of their five-set loss to Villanova. The Panthers (13-6, 2-2 Big East) hit. 176 against the Wildcats (9-9, 3-1 Big East) and had 17 blocks. Senior Azadeh Boroumand recorded a double-double while freshman Kim Kern broke school records for block assists.
Boroumand (Red Deer, Alberta/Thurber) averaged nine assists per game with 45 total and 12 digs for a double-double. She additionally recorded five blocks. Kern (Bradenton, Fla./Manatee) put up 11 block assists to break the school record for most block assists in a five-game match. She additionally broke the record for most block assists in a match for a freshman and now is tied for second on Pitt's all-time leaderboard. Kern also set career highs with 10 kills and 19 attempts. She contributed 15.5 points for the Panthers.
Junior outside hitter Diana Andreyko (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) averaged 3.4 kills per game against the Wildcats and hit .204. She had 19.5 points and 1.8 digs per game. Sophomore Stephanie Ross (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) had 13 kills for a 2.6 per game average and also recorded five service aces. She contributed 19 points for Pitt. Freshman libero Michelle Rossi (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) averaged 2.4 digs per game.
Villanova took control of game one with an early 9-6 lead over the Panthers. Keeping within five points of Wildcats, Pitt stayed strong and was able to tie it up at 22 with a kill from freshman Meagan Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West). The Panthers moved into the lead with a service ace by Rossi, but Villanova came back to tie it up. Pitt moved ahead again with two more kills but an error and a kill from the Wildcats put both teams at 25. Two blocks moved Villanova into the lead, but a kill and service ace from Ross allowed Pitt to tie it up again. A kill from Andreyko gave Pitt what it needed to take control, and a block from Kern and Dooley won game one, 31-29. Pitt hit .324 to Villanova's .310. Andreyko led the team with seven kills. Kern had three blocks, and Boroumand put up 13 assists.
Game two was equally close as Pitt pulled to a 10-7 lead, but the Wildcats tied it up. A kill from sophomore Jessica Moses (North Olmstead, Ohio/Lutheran West) gave Pitt a 21-18 lead. Still, Villanova didn't give up, tying the game up again at 25. A kill by Dooley gave Pitt a two-point lead at 28, and a block from Dooley and Moses moved them to 29. The Wildcats went on a three-point scoring drive to tie it up, and a block moved them to a 30-29 lead. Another kill by Dooley tied the game up at 30, but a kill and service ace gave Villanova the game two win, 32-30. Andreyko recorded five putaways, and Boroumand had 11 assists. Moses led the team with three blocks. Pitt hit .182 to Villanova's .306.
The Panthers fought back in the third game, gaining a 13-8 lead and never letting the Wildcats catch up. The Panthers had a seven-point lead at three different instances in the game. Pitt took game three with a service ace from Dooley, 30-24. Kern led the team with four kills, hitting 1.000. She also led the team with three blocks. Boroumand put up 10 assists, and Ross recorded three service aces. Pitt hit .206, and Villanova hit .189.
At the beginning of game four, both teams rallied for the lead with Pitt taking control at 12-8 after an error by the Wildcats. Villanova came back to tie the score up at 16, and a kill put them in the lead. Pitt fought back with a block by Moses, but the Wildcats went on a five-point scoring drive to move ahead again. The Wildcats were able to hold off the Panthers, scoring on a block and taking game four, 30-20. Villanova hit .146, and the Panthers recorded a .024 hitting percentage. Ross led the team with three kills. Boroumand had six assists and two blocks. Kern and Moses had two blocks each as well, and Rossi recorded four digs.
The Panthers continued to put up a strong fight in game five, never letting the Wildcats get out of their reach. Villanova moved into the lead, 9-7, and Pitt came back to tie it up after a block from Boroumand and Moses and an error from the Wildcats. The Panthers moved into a 10-9 lead after a block from Kern and Boroumand. Villanova tied it up at 10 with a putaway and went on a four-point scoring drive to take control. A kill gave the Wildcats game five, 15-12. Villanova hit .200 to the Panthers' .188. Ross recorded two kills for a .500 hitting percentage. Boroumand led the team with two blocks and five assists.
The Pitt volleyball team will return to the Fitzgerald Field House next weekend to host their next two Big East opponents. They'll face Georgetown on Friday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 8, they'll play USF at 2 p.m. The Panthers are 1-1 at home against conference opponents.
