University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Gonzaga
Women's Volleyball Comes Back In Win Over Gonzaga
9/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 19, 2008
PITTBURGH—Senior Kelly Campbell recorded a double-double as the women’s volleyball team earned a come-back victory over Gonzaga during the second match of the Pitt Invitational at Fitzgerald Field House, this afternoon. Pitt won with scores of 24-26, 25-13, 19-25, 25-19 and 15-8.
Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield/Pacific) recorded a season-high with 19 kills and added 11 digs in the contest for her third double-double of the season.
Additionally, senior Nicole Taurence (Trenton, Mich./Trenton) tallied 47 assists, while freshman Hannah Swysgood (Sunbury, Ohio, Big Walnut) boasted a career-high six blocks.
Looking to force a fifth set, the Panthers (5-7) charged out with a 3-1 lead in the fourth set. Later, Gonzaga (5-8) closed the gap to 6-5, but Pitt rallied three points, including a block from Taurence and senior Jessica Moses (North Olmstead, Ohio/Lutheran West) that forced a Bulldog timeout at 9-5.
Pitt would continue its run with two aces from senior Stephanie Ross (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne). Several plays later, freshman Tara Rohall (South Park, Pa./South Park) followed with an ace to give the Panthers a 19-11 lead.
A block from Taurence and Swysgood would give Pitt a set point at 24-17, but Gonzaga held on for three balls before sophomore Amy Town (Orillia, Ontario/Orillia) earned the winning point with a kill from the outside.
Next, back-to-back kills from Campbell lifted Pitt to a 6-2 lead in the deciding match and forced a Bulldog timeout.
The two teams would then switch sides of the net following kills from Campbell and Moses.
Taurence then recorded a kill with a dump in the middle of the court for the Panthers’ ninth point of the set. On the next play, she and Moses connected on a block to force a Gonzaga timeout with a 12-4 lead.
The Bulldogs went on a 3-1 run, but a Town kill set up match point at 14-7. Taurence would set Campbell on the outside for the match-winning point.
Pitt was in sole control of the second set as they opened with a 6-1 lead thanks to a block from Campbell and Swysgood. As a team, Pitt out-blocked the Bulldogs, 5-1, including a set-high three from Swysgood.
Campbell led the Panthers with three kills in the set and gave Pitt a 10-4 advantage in the contest. On the next play junior Meagan Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) and Moses combined on the block for Pitt. Dooley had four blocks in the match, while Moses stuffed five.
Campbell also recorded back-to-back aces in the set, giving Pitt a 15-7 lead. A kill from Town a few balls later would force a Gonzaga timeout at 17-9, but the Panthers would hold serve as Moses recorded an ace, as well.
Pitt would earn the final two points of the set off Bulldog serving errors.
Earlier in match, the Panthers took an 8-7 lead in the first set with a block assist from Taurence and Swysgood. Pitt and Gonzaga then kept it close through the next few plays as the match was knotted at 16-16 after Campbell recorded a kill on a long pass.
The Bulldogs then went on a 6-3 run, forcing a Pitt timeout. Ross came out of the timeout and earned a kill with an attack from the back row. That play was the first of a 5-1 run from the Panthers as they had a set point following a dump from Taurence. Pitt would lose the next three balls and fall 26-25 in the set.
In the third set, Taurence assisted on all 12 of the Pitt kills. Campbell tied for a set high with six kills and boasted 12 kills and nine digs through the first three sets, however, the Panthers fell 25-19.
In the first match of the day, VCU defeated Eastern Michigan, 3-1. The Pitt Invitational continues this evening with VCU and Gonzaga at 5 p.m., while Pitt plays Eastern Michigan at 7:30 p.m.
