No. 3 Pitt Volleyball Advances to Second Consecutive NCAA Regional Final

Thursday, December 9

Pittsburgh, Pa.

1 PM ET

Pitt

29-3,15-3ACC

Kansas

18-12,8-8Big 12

Kansas

Pittsburgh

No. 3 Pitt Volleyball Advances to Second Consecutive NCAA Regional Final

12/9/2021 5:27:00 PM | Volleyball

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Panthers to Face Purdue Saturday at Fitzgerald Field House

PITTSBURGH – For the second consecutive year, the No. 3 seed Pitt volleyball team (29-3, 15-3 ACC) will compete for a spot in the Final Four after advancing to the NCAA Regional Final with a sweep of unseeded Kansas (18-12, 8-8 Big 12) Thursday afternoon at Fitzgerald Field House.

Pitt clipped the Jayhawks by scores of 25-19, 25-21, 25-18. The Panthers had advantages in kills (45-36), assists (42-27), service aces (9-2), digs (27-21) and hitting percentage (.356-.277). Kansas had more blocks (9.0-5.0).

Right side hitter Chinaza Ndee had a productive stat line with a season-best hitting percentage of .632, notching 14 kills on 19 swings with just two errors. She added a team-best four blocks.

Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh was the only other Panther with double figures in the kill column, recording 11 on .280 hitting. She picked up a team-high eight digs.

Outside hitter Kayla Lund posted a season-best four service aces, which ties for the most by a Panther in a single NCAA Tournament match during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present). Kamalani Akeo (2015-18) had four aces against VCU in the 2017 First Round on Dec. 1, 2017.

Middle blocker Serena Gray was efficient with seven kills and no errors on 11 swings for a .636 hitting percentage.

SET ONE: No. 3 Pitt 25, Kanas 19

It was a slow start for Pitt as the Jayhawks took an 8-3 lead following a 4-1 run. The Panthers came alive with a run of ten unanswered points, taking a 17-11 lead, one that they would not surrender. Pitt took a 1-0 lead in the match with help from seven kills by Ndee in the frame.

SET TWO: No. 3 Pitt 25, Kansas 21

The Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the match following a closer second set. A 4-1 run gave Pitt a 19-14 lead, and later, a 3-0 run pushed the margin to 22-16. Kansas shortened the margin to two points with four unanswered points (22-20), but Pitt was able to close out the frame with the 25-21 win. Ndee had 12 kills through two sets on .667 hitting.

SET THREE: No. 3 Pitt 25, Kansas 18

The third frame saw just one tie (7-7) and no lead changes. An 8-2 run by the Panthers swung the momentum permanently in Pitt's favor, taking a 15-9 lead. Later, a 3-1 run gave Pitt a 23-17 advantage. For the second consecutive game, Valeria Vazquez Gomez produced a clutch ace for Pitt, sending the Panthers to the Regional Final on match point, 25-18.

2021 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2021 Division I Women's Volleyball championship provides for a field of 64 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Of the 64 teams, 32 teams will receive automatic qualification while the remaining 32 teams are selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Women's Volleyball Committee.
First and Second round competition will be held at 16 non-predetermined campus sites. At each campus site, four teams will compete in single-elimination first round competition. The two advancing teams then compete against each other in single-elimination second round competition at the same campus site. The winning team from each of the 16 second rounds advances to the regional round.
Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites. At each site, four teams compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition. The two advancing teams then compete against each other in single-elimination regional final. The winning team from each of the four regions will advance to the DI Women's Volleyball Championship final site in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The National Semifinals will be held Thursday, December 16, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The National Championship will take place Saturday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

UP NEXT
The No. 3 seed Panthers will host No. 6 seed Purdue (26-6, 15-5 Big Ten) in the Regional Final at Fitzgerald Field House Saturday, Dec. 11, at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. Tickets are available at PittsburghPanthers.com or by calling 800-643-7488. The winner of Saturday's match will earn a spot in the National Semifinals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Dec. 16.

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