University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Eastern Kentucky
Women's Volleyball Wins Home Opener
9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 5, 2008
PITTSBURGH—In their first game of the 2008 Pitt Classic, the Panthers used just three sets to win 3-0 over Eastern Kentucky at the newly renovated Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt won the match with scores of 25-13, 25-11 and 25-12, improving to 2-2 on the year.
Just the second game of the Pitt Classic, the Panthers opened their home court slate in a winning fashion, this afternoon.
Sophomore Amy Town (Orillia, Ontario/Orillia) was just one dig short of a double-double as she posted 10 kills and nine digs in the contest. Additionally, junior Meagan Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) tallied nine kills and six blocks in the match, while classmate Michelle Rossi (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) chipped in a match-high 12 digs.
Pitt held the Colonels to a negative .06 hitting percentage in the match, limiting them to 15 kills. On the other end, the Panthers tallied a .439 hitting clip, including a .519 first set.
In that first set, senior Kelly Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield/Pacific) led Pitt with five kills, while classmate Stephanie Ross (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) chipped in four.
The Panthers jumped out to an 11-5 lead following a Campbell kill from the outside that split the two Colonels trying to block the attack. A few plays later, Town gave the Panthers a 14-6 lead with a kill after senior Nicole Taurence (Trenton, Mich./Trenton) gave her a back row set.
Pitt and EKU then rallied the next few plays and were standing at 19-10 after a Panther serving error. However, Dooley would give Pitt the sideout with a hard hit from the far side of the net. The Panthers would win the next five of eight balls for the win at 25-13.
Later, Dooley gave the Panthers a 7-3 lead, in the second set, with a solo block to hold the serve. However, the Panthers would lose the serve on the next play, but earn a sideout on a Colonel serving error. Ross would then go on to serve three points for the Panthers, taking an 11-5 advantage in the second set.
Senior Monica Macellari (Granger, Ind./S.B. Clay) entered the set and served two points, while collecting digs as Pitt went up 22-9. EKU would make a 3-0 run, but it was halted with a kill down the line from junior Melissa Stadelman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick).
The set was won off a block from Stadelman and Dooley, 25-11. After trailing slightly in the third set, Pitt took a 6-4 lead with a block from Campbell and Dooley. Later, Pitt forced a Colonel timeout when Town recorded a kill off a set from Taurence at 10-5.
Taurence then led the first half of a 9-2 Pitt run with a dump, leading to an 11-6 sideout. Taurence served the next five balls for the Panthers, including one of Pitt’s five aces in the match.
After losing the ball for just one point, freshman Tara Rohall (South Park, Pa./South Park) entered the game and served four points for the Panthers. In the match, Taurence assisted on 31 of the team’s 43 kills.
Action in the Pitt Classic resumes at 5 p.m. with EKU and Ohio, while Pitt faces Binghamton at 7 p.m., this evening.
