No. 20 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Butler in 2018 Home Opener

Friday, August 24

Pittsburgh, Pa.

12:30 PM EST

Pitt

1-0

Butler

0-1

Butler

Pitt

Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics

No. 20 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Butler in 2018 Home Opener

8/24/2018 4:13:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

Lund Produces Double-Double with 10 Kills, 11 Digs

PITTSBURGH – The No. 20 University of Pittsburgh volleyball team held Butler to fewer than 15 points in two out of three sets while sweeping the Bulldogs 25-14, 25-23, 25-12, at Fitzgerald Field House Friday afternoon.

The defending ACC champions improved to 1-0, claiming their home opener as part of the Panther Challenge.

Junior middle hitter Layne Van Buskirk led the way for Pitt with a match-high 13 kills on 21 attempts (.429) and added five blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Lund produced a staggering .769 hitting percentage, killing 10 of 13 attempts with zero errors, and had 11 digs for a double-double. Classmate Chinaza Ndee followed with nine kills.

Preseason All-ACC setter Kamalani Akeo had 18 assists for the match and tallied an ace. Redshirt senior libero Angela Seman picked up a match-high 14 digs.

As a squad, the Panthers hit .381 for the match while holding the Bulldogs to .133 success. Pitt nearly doubled Butler in the kill column, 44-27.

Set One: No 20. Pitt 25, Butler 14

The Panthers' offensive efficiency in the first set resulted in a .542 attacking percentage, killing 15 of 24 attempts with two errors. On the defensive end, Pitt held Butler to .097 attack success, allowing nine kills.

Following a 1-1 tie to start the match, Pitt outscored Butler 9-2 to reach an early 10-3 advantage. The Panthers kept their distance from the Bulldogs and eventually reached a double-figure lead on set point, 24-14. Ndee put it away with a kill, as the Panthers concluded the first frame on a 3-0 run, winning 25-14.

Set Two: No. 20 Pitt 25, Butler 23

Butler battled in the second set, earning its first lead of the match, 2-1. The Bulldogs reached a largest lead of four, following a 3-0 run, 9-5. The Panthers were resilient and eventually tied the score at nine apiece, while Butler kept it close with two more ties.

Once Pitt gained a 12-11 advantage, it did not surrender the lead again. When the Panthers earned set point, 24-20, the Bulldogs used a three-point run to keep things interesting. A kill from junior right side hitter Nika Markovic gave the Panthers the second set, 25-23.

Set Three: No. 20 Pitt 25, Butler 12

The Panthers finished the match in dominating fashion, holding the Bulldogs to a negative percentage in the attack column (-.031). A 10-2 run in the middle of the set blew the frame open, giving Pitt a 21-8 advantage. Van Buskirk earned match point for Pitt with her 13th kill of the day, advancing the Panthers to 24-12. The match ended on an attack error by the Bulldogs.

UP NEXT
Pitt will complete its Friday doubleheader by hosting No. 24 Cal Poly at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panther Challenge match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, available via the WatchESPN app.

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