Pitt
Penn State
Leggs Records 10 Kills Against Penn State
9/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 2, 2011
PITTSBURGH--The University of Pittsburgh women's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season to No. 2 Penn State, 3-0, in front of a record-setting crowd at Fitzgerald Field House this evening. The Panthers fell to 5-1 on the year, while the Nittany Lions improved to 2-1 with scores of 25-13, 25-12 and 25-18.
With more than 2,000 fans seated in Fitzgerald Field House, the Panthers renewed a much anticipated rivalry against Penn State. Senior Kiesha Leggs led the Panthers with 10 kills, while sophomore Monica Wignot chipped in nine.
Freshman setter Lindsey Zitzke recorded 25 assists on Pitt's 26 kills and junior Margy Acton collected nine digs in the match.
The contest began with Pitt and Penn State battling through the first four points. Then, the Nittany Lions took a three-point lead on a Panther error (7-4).
Pitt later trailed 10-7 after Zitzke set Leggs for a kill over the middle. Leggs' attack grazed the top of two Nittany Lion defenders before hitting the ground.
On the next serve, Wignot earned her second kill of the match with a hard swing on a set from Zitzke. Pitt trailed 10-8 at that point.
Unfortunately, Penn State won four of the next five serves to take a 14-9 lead in the set, forcing a Panther timeout.
During the next four volleys, Wignot and junior Jasmine Dittrich would each earn a kill in the set. However, the Nittany Lions would string together an 8-1 run to take a 24-12 lead in the game.
Leggs gave the Panthers a sideout when Zitzke back set her for a kill. But, Penn State would earn a sideout on the next serve and take the set, 25-13. Leggs and Wignot recorded three kills, apiece, in the set.
Later, Wignot scored the first point of the second set for the Panthers. This was after Penn State jumped out to a 6-0 lead and head coach Toby Rens called a timeout to regroup.
As the game continued, Leggs and sophomore Brenea White combined on a block to give the Panthers their first block of the match. Pitt out-blocked Penn State 2-1 in the second game.
A few serves later, Leggs' recorded another kill with a hard swing on a set by Zitzke. Zitzke gave Leggs another back set, which Leggs sent to the ground hard. Pitt trailed 13-6 following that play.
Dittrich kept it a seven-point contest when she recorded a kill with a hard swing on Zitzke's set over the middle to make it 14-7.
Unfortunately, Penn State pulled away with a 6-1 run that was cut when White and freshman Mechael Guess combined on a block. Pitt trailed 20-9 with the block.
The Nittany Lions pushed ahead with a short 4-2 run that was snapped when Leggs found a hole in Penn State's defense. However, it wasn't enough as the Nittany Lions would take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-12 second-set victory.
Leggs posted a .714 hitting percentage and five kills in the second set, while Zitzke assisted on seven of the eight Panther kills that frame.
In the finale, Wignot and Dittrich combined on a block to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead in the third set. Acton would then serve the second ace of the match for the Panthers.
Pitt posted a 6-2 lead after Leggs floated a tip over Penn State's blockers.
Later, after a Penn State run, Dittrich tied the game at eight with a strong swing that dropped the ball just out of the defender's reach. On the next serve, Wignot recorded the 50th ace of the season for the Panthers and gave Pitt a 9-8 advantage in the contest.
Penn State, however, would take the lead following a 6-2 run. Trailing 14-11, Wignot helped chip away at the gap with two kills on the next three serves. The first was a back row swing that resulted in a Pitt sideout, while the second was an outside attack.
Pitt pulled within one, twice, due to Penn State errors. But, the Nittany Lions would go on a 3-1 run to take a 19-16 lead.
Rens decided to take a timeout. When the Panthers returned to the court, Dittrich stuffed a Penn State attacker for her 15th block of the season. The score was 19-17 following that block.
It remained a two-point contest when Zitzke set Wignot for her 67th kill of the season, 20-18. But that would be the final point for the Panthers, as Penn State won the next five points to win the match.
Wignot chipped in five digs, while junior Alexa Campbell and freshman Delaney Clesen added seven and five, respectively.
The Panthers are back in action at noon on Saturday, Sept. 3, in the final contest of the University of Pittsburgh Invitational, held at Fitzgerald Field House.
