Pitt
Syracuse
PITT VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO SYRACUSE IN CLOSE FIVE-GAME MATCH
10/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 22, 2006
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Pitt volleyball team's win streak ended today in a five-game set against Syracuse. The Panthers (17-7, 6-3 Big East) lost 15-12 to the Orange (10-18, 4-5 Big East) in game five. Each game was within five points, and three went above 30 points. Pitt hit .296 compared to Syracuse's .281, and both teams had 15 blocks each.
Sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Ross (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) had a tremendous game for the Panthers, contributing 41 points. She set new career-highs with 36 kills and 70 attempts. With 11 digs, she was one of the team's four double-doubles of the day. Ross hit .443 against the Orange and also had three service aces and three blocks. She is now second among Pitt's all-time top individual performances in kills, one kill away from tying the school record.
Pitt's other outside hitters also earned double-doubles. Junior Diana Andreyko (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) had 18 kills and 16 digs. She additionally had four blocks and 20 points. Freshman Meagan Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) recorded 15 putaways and 13 digs. She hit .222 and had four blocks and two service aces.
Senior setter Azadeh Boroumand (Red Deer, Alberta/Thurber) had the team's fourth double-double with a career-high 71 assists and 11 digs. She also had six kills and three blocks for 7.5 points. Boroumand hit .455 against Syracuse. Freshman libero Michelle Rossi (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) had 17 digs.
Defensively, freshman Kim Kern (Bradenton, Fla./Manatee) had nine blocks against the Orange. She additionally recorded nine kills and had a .389 hitting percentage. Sophomore Jessica Moses (North Olmstead, Ohio/Lutheran West) had five blocks and six kills for 8.5 points.
The Panthers got off to a good start, taking a 6-5 lead and staying ahead for the remainder of the game. The Orange tried to close in coming within one point at 22-21. Still, the Panthers kept control of the game, holding Syracuse to 26 points. Pitt won game one after a kill from Andreyko, 30-26. The Panthers hit .450 compared to Syracuse's .421. Ross led the team with seven kills and one service ace. Boroumand had 20 assists, and Andreyko had five digs.
In game two, both teams rallied for the lead, and Syracuse came out ahead, 8-5, after an error by the Panthers. The Orange kept a solid lead for most of the game, but Pitt started to close in, tying it up at 29 points after kill from Ross. Syracuse came back with a kill of their own. Pitt responded with a block by Moses and Boroumand to tie it up at 30. Two kills from Syracuse's Brittany Kern gave them the win, 32-30. Despite a loss in game two, the Panthers had the better hitting percentage with .184 compared to Syracuse's .160. Ross recorded eight putaways and had six digs. Boroumand had 13 assists, and Kern put up four blocks.
Game three also went in favor of the Orange, though Pitt stayed within reach, pushing Syracuse to score 31 points. Both teams fought for control of the game, and it appeared the Orange had moved ahead significantly, 20-14, but the Panthers weren't giving up. They moved within two points at 27-25 after a kill from Ross. The Panthers tied the score up at 29 with a service ace from Dooley. Syracuse won the next two points to take game three, 31-29. Pitt hit .200 compared to the Orange's .250. Ross led the team in kills again with six while contributing 7.5 points. Boroumand had 12 assists, and Rossi had seven digs. Kern and Moses had two blocks each.
Pitt made a comeback in game four, though Syracuse was ahead for most of the game. The Panthers tied it up at 24 after a kill from Dooley. The Orange came back to tie it up at 26 and then again at 27. They took a two-point lead, but Pitt responded with kills from Dooley and Ross to tie the game up at 29. A service ace from Ross set the team up for the game point, and a kill from Moses won game four, 32-30. Pitt hit .408 to Syracuse's .349. Ross hit an outstanding 12 kills and had 13.5 points. Boroumand put up 21 assists while Dooley and Kern had two blocks each.
It seemed as though the Panthers were in position to win the match after earning a 7-4 lead in game five with a block from Moses and Dooley. But, the Orange tied the game up at eight and scored two more points for the lead. Pitt was still able to score, but Syracuse pulled away with the win, 15-12. The Panthers hit .222 compared to the Orange's .250. Ross had three putaways and a .333 hitting percentage. Boroumand had five assists, and several Panthers had one block each.
The Pitt volleyball team will return to the Field House next Friday, Oct. 27 for a non-conference match against Long Island. The match will begin at 5 p.m. and will be "Inspiring Pitt Pride Night."
NOTES - The Panthers were three kills away (90) from tying the school record for most kills in a match. The loss to Syracuse was the team's first after a four-match win streak against Big East opponents. Ross tied a career high with one block solo, and Dooley had a career-high 13 digs. Several Panthers made it onto Pitt's top individual performance list: Ross with 36 kills and 70 attempts, Kern with 8 block assists and Boroumand with 71 assists.
