No. 8 Pitt Volleyball Crushes Orange, 3-1

Friday, October 5

Pittsburgh, Pa.

6 PM EST

Pitt

16-0, 5-0

Syracuse

8-5, 4-1

Syracuse

Pitt

No. 8 Pitt Volleyball Crushes Orange, 3-1

10/5/2018 9:38:00 PM | Volleyball

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Panthers Hand Syracuse First ACC Loss

PITTSBURGH – The No. 8 Pitt volleyball team (16-0, 5-0 ACC) handed Syracuse (8-5, 4-1) its first ACC loss of the season to remain perfect with a win at Fitzgerald Field House Friday evening.

Two of the four sets were light work for the Panthers, topping the Orange 25-9 in the first set and 25-11 to close out the match in the fourth. Pitt claimed the second set, 25-23, before falling just short by the same score in the third.

Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Lund led the Panthers with a notable all-around performance, recording 21 kills and 12 digs, marking her third 20-kill performance of the season and her eighth double-double. Junior outside hitter Nika Markovic produced 18 kills for the Panthers on a scorching .469 hitting percentage. Junior middle Layne Van Buskirk continued her strong season, adding 11 kills and tying a season-high nine blocks.

Redshirt junior outside hitter Stephanie Williams provided a spark defensively, recording a match-high and season-high 13 digs. Senior setter Kamalani Akeo had 24 assists and nine digs, falling just short of her fifth double-double of the season.

Pitt outhit its opponent once again, .319 to .157. The Panthers were all over the floor, out-digging the Orange 58 to 40. Pitt nearly doubled Syracuse in kills, 65-38. The Orange edged the Panthers in blocks 15.0 to 10.5.

WITH THE WIN…

The Panthers extended their best start to a season in school history, improving to 16-0.
Pitt extended its longest win streak since 1987, when the team won 24 consecutive matches.
Pitt recorded a 5-0 start to ACC play for the second consecutive season.
The Panthers improved their home record to 12-0, and 4-0 against ACC opponents.
Pitt won its fourth consecutive match against Syracuse, dating back to 2015. The Panthers' last loss against the Orange came Nov. 22, 2015, 3-1, at Fitzgerald Field House.

Set One: No. 8 Pitt 25, Syracuse 9

The Panthers came out of the gate strong, dominating the Orange in the first set. Pitt led wire-to-wire over Syracuse. The Panthers were able to string together numerous runs, the largest being 9-0. Leading 8-4, the Panthers went on a massive 14-2 run to extend the lead to 22-6, the largest lead of the set.

Pitt was dynamic on offense with a .485 hitting percentage. The Panthers were led by Lund with seven kills and Markovic with six kills. Pitt stymied the Syracuse offense, holding the Orange to a .088 hitting percentage.

Set Two: No. 8 Pitt 25, Syracuse 23

The second set was a battle from start to finish, with 14 ties and seven lead changes. The Panthers never led by more than three. Trailing Pitt, 18-15, Syracuse went on an 8-2 run to grab its first lead of not only the set, but the match. The Panthers answered with a 4-1 run to win the set.

Pitt continued to play well offensively, producing a .333 hitting percentage. The Panthers had a well-rounded defense of effort with 14 digs. Sophomore setter Kylee Levers dumped the ball the win the set.

Set Three: Syracuse 25, No. 8 Pitt 23

The Panthers were unable to complete the sweep, dropping the third set. Tied, 4-4, the Orange went on a 3-0 run to capture a 7-4 lead. Trailing, 9-5, Pitt used a 6-2 run to tie it up, 11-11. Following a 20-20 tie, Syracuse outscored Pitt 5-3 run to win the set.

Set Four: No.8 Pitt 25, Syracuse 11

The Panthers closed out the match, winning the fourth set in dominant fashion. Pitt led for the entire match and earned a lead as big as 12 points. Pitt jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and never looked back. Leading 11-6, the Panthers went on a 9-2 run to extend the lead to 20-8. Van Buskirk was able to clinch the set and give Pitt the match. The Panthers frustrated the Orange offense, holding it to a -.160 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle Chinaza Ndee led the Panthers in the frame with four kills and a perfect hitting percentage.

UP NEXT

The No. 8 Panthers will remain at home to host Boston College Sunday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, available via the WatchESPN app.

2018 PITT VOLLEYBALL TICKETS

Flex season ticket packages as well as single-match and group tickets for the 2018 volleyball season are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Panthers' Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT (7488) or online at PittsburghPanthers.com.

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