University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
(8-2)
Bowling Green
(3-8)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 21 | 20 | 26 | 18 | 1 |
| Pitt | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 3 |
Pitt Volleyball Downs Bowling Green, 3-1
9/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML) | Season Stats | Tournament Central
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team knocked off Bowling Green, 3-1, in its opening match of the Panther Invitational, Friday evening at the Fitzgerald Field House.
The Panthers (8-2) went ahead two sets to none, beating the Falcons (3-8) by set scores of 25-21 and 25-20, respectively. However Bowling Green fought back in the third to win in extra points, 26-24. Pitt finished off the Falcons in the set four, downing them 25-18 to seal the deal.
Four Panthers registered double-doubles, including senior Jenna Jacobson, junior Maria Genitsaridi, sophomore Mariah Bell and freshman Kamalani Akeo.
Bell had a career-breaking performance tonight, setting new highs in three categories. The sophomore knocked down a team-leading 20 kills, tallied 13 digs and served up four of Pitt's 11 aces. All three were career highs.
Genitsaridi also hit well for the Panthers as she put away 15 kills and 15 digs. The junior hit .375 on the night.
Jacobson and Akeo, both setters for Pitt, each notched their double-doubles by tallying double-digit assists and digs. Jacobson put up 33 assists and 13 digs, while Akeo added 25 assists and 11 digs, both season-highs.
Senior Amanda Orchard added 12 kills for the Panthers on 26 attempts to hit .462 in the match. Orchard has now hit above .400 in eight of the squad's 10 games. Redshirt junior Jenna Potts put up a hitting percentage of .533 after completing eight of her 15 total attacks.
In the first set, Pitt was able to get out to an early 5-3 lead but the two teams battled back-and-forth. After gaining a three point lead, the Panthers called a timeout once the Falcons were back within one. Out of the break, Bowling Green came back and tied the game 14-14. Pitt managed to pull ahead 18-15, but it didn't last long as the Falcons knotted the set at 19. The Panthers out hit Bowling Green, 6-2, to finish off the Falcons in the opening set. Orchard led Pitt offensively in set one with a .571 average.
Pitt and Bowling Green were tied 9-9 in the beginning of the second set but the Panthers took a 14-9 lead after notching five consecutive points, two of which were back-to-back service aces by Bell. She added her third of the set in the later points as the Panthers remained at least two points ahead of the Falcons for the remainder of the set to pick up a 25-20 win.
Despite Bell picking up eight of Pitt's 19 kills in the third set, the Panthers fell in extra points, 26-24. Pitt and Bowling Green were tied up 13 different times through set three and saw seven different lead changes. The Panthers earned the first set point but the Falcons scored three straight to pull away.
Pitt struggled at the beginning of the final set, as Bowling Green continued to stay hot from the previous set. The Panthers regrouped in a timeout, which led to success as Pitt went on a six point run to take a 7-6 lead. Genitsaridi helped the Panthers contain their lead in the coming points with two service aces in a row. Trailing 12-8, Bowling Green tried to slow Pitt's roll but the Panthers continued to tack on points and earn a six point lead. Pitt was able to hold onto that advantage for the remainder of the game and defeated the Falcons 25-18 in the last set.
Up Next
Pitt will continue play in the Panther Invitational tomorrow, beginning with a Noon match against Lehigh. The Panthers will conclude the tournament at 7 p.m. when they take on George Washington.
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