Pitt
(19-4, 7-3ACC)
Syracuse
(8-15, 1-10ACC)
Pitt Completes Season Sweep Over Syracuse with 3-0 Win
11/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Box Score | Season Stats | Conference Stats
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt volleyball team moves to 19-4 on the season and 7-3 in conference play after taking down Syracuse (8-15, 1-10 ACC) 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Fitzgerald Field House. This was the second time the Panthers knocked off the Orange this season.
Pitt was led by seniors Kate Yeazel and Jessica Wynn who both recorded double digit kills with 14 and 10 respectively. Mechael Guess, who came off the bench for the Panthers, added eight. Lindsey Zitzke had 24 assists while Jenna Jacobson added 19. Delaney Clesen controlled the game defensively for Pitt with 13 digs while Jenna Potts added four blocks to the mix.
The Panthers took control early the first set, jumping out to a 10-5 lead to start off the match. Five of Pitt's 10 points were kills, including two of those from Orchard. Seven points later and with the Panthers leading by four, Yeazel put a kill away for Pitt, forcing the Orange to take a timeout with a score of 14-9. Pitt continued to dominate, adding six more points to lead 20-14. However, Syracuse didn't give up as the Orange notched two straight points on Panther errors, forcing Pitt to take a timeout, as the score sat at 20-16. The Panthers hit a rough patch following the timeout, committing three more errors to bring Syracuse back within a point which eventually led to a 21-21 tie game. Pitt called a second timeout to regroup which ended up working in its favor. The Panthers won the set 25-21 after taking four consecutive points to end it.
In another set that came down to the wire, Pitt was able to take a 2-0 overall lead after winning set two 25-23. The Panthers got off to another quick start in the second, taking a 4-1 lead. Yeazel had two quick kills for Pitt while Orchard added one. Syracuse stayed close to the Panthers in the beginning before falling behind by five points (12-7) and calling for a timeout. The rest didn't seem to work as Pitt extended its lead to 19-12 thanks to kills from Guess (2), Orchard and Wynn. What looked to be a runaway game for Pitt, turned out to be close after Syracuse score five straight points to the Panthers one to bring the score to 20-17. The set came down to the wire as the Orange continued to catch up, taking away four set points from Pitt. A ball-handling error by Syracuse gave Pitt its final point the win.
Behind Yeazel's eight kills in the final set, the Panthers went on to win the third 27-25 and take the match 3-0. The thrilling extra point set began with the two teams neck and neck as Syracuse only trailed Pitt by one. Guess quickly changed that for the Panthers notching three kills along with one from Wynn to give Pitt four straight points and a 10-5 lead. After picking up its play, Syracuse shortened the Panthers lead to two (18-16), forcing a Pitt timeout. Play remained steady for both teams after the timeout as they climbed through the twenties. Pitt notched the first match point on a kill by Wynn, making the score 24-21. Four Syracuse points later, the Orange took their first lead of the match, 25-24, and threatened to break open a fourth set. The Panthers, determined to win, scored three uninterrupted points to regain match point and grab the win.
Pitt will return to action this weekend as they head back out on the road to take on Duke and Wake Forest on back-to-back days this Friday and Saturday. The Panthers will play the Blue Devils on November 7 before taking on the Demon Deacons on November 8. Both matches are slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Keep up with Pitt volleyball by following the team on Twitter at @PittVolleyball or visiting PittsburghPanthers.com.
