Monday, April 19
Omaha, Neb.
Noon ET
Pitt
19-5,14-4ACC
2
vs
3
Washington
20-3,17-3Pac-12
1
2
3
4
5
F
Pittsburgh
25
25
16
24
9
2
Washington
20
21
25
26
15
3
Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/NCAA Photos
Pitt Volleyball’s Historic Run Ends in NCAA Regional Final
4/19/2021 5:15:00 PM | Volleyball
Panthers Fall to No. 6 Seed Washington in Five Sets
OMAHA, Neb. – The final unseeded team standing in the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, Pitt (19-5, 14-4 ACC), fell short of reaching the National Semifinal with a heartbreaking five-set loss to No. 6 seed Washington (20-3, 17-3 PAC-12) Monday afternoon at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Despite the loss, Pitt made history with its first NCAA Regional Final appearance in program history. The Panthers topped LIU, 3-0 (April 14), No. 14 seed Utah, 3-0 (April 15), and No. 3 seed Minnesota, 3-2 (April 18), to make history and reach their furthest NCAA tournament run ever.
Pitt earned a hot start to the match by winning the first two frames, 25-20 and 25-21, but was unable to hold off the Huskies' comeback, dropping the next three sets by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 15-9.
The match completed Pitt's historic 2020-21 season while marking the Panthers' first loss of the 2021 calendar year, halting a 15-match win streak.
Senior right side hitter Chinaza Ndee became the 18th player in Pitt history to cross the 1,000-kill threshold for her career after totaling a team-best 16 against the Huskies. She is one of two active Panthers to reach the milestone, alongside classmate Kayla Lund. Lund had 13 kills and a match-best three service aces against Washington in the loss.
Springfield, Neb., native Sabrina Starks had a match-best six blocks for Pitt. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez led Pitt with 13 digs.
Sophomore setter Lexis Akeo produced her fifth double-double of the year with 24 assists and 10 digs.
Pitt had more kills (63-59), assists (58-54) and digs (61-57). The Huskies edged the Panthers in hitting percentage (.245-.207), service aces (9-7) and blocks (12.0-10.0).
Set One: Pitt 25, Washington 20
After a slow opening to the match, Pitt surged with a 7-1 run that included some tough serving by the Panthers to make it 10-5. Pitt pushed its lead to 20-12 following a 3-0 run. Washington made a run of its own, closing the margin to just 22-19. Pitt closed the door on the first frame with a 3-1 run. The Panthers out-hit the Huskies, .250 to .129.
Set Two: Pitt 25, Washington 21
The second frame was closer, with the teams trading leads once after a 6-1 Washington run (Pitt down 10-9). Pitt responded with a 10-2 run to gain a 19-12 margin, but the Huskies fought back. A 5-0 UW run put Washington within two, 19-17. Pitt finished the set to go up, 2-0 in the match.
Set Three: No. 6 seed Washington 25, Pitt 16
Washington found its footing in the third frame, with a hot hitting percentage of .522. Pitt couldn't get much going offensively, hitting .148 for the set. The Huskies found some big runs to keep momentum in the stanza and pulled in a 25-16 win to cut Pitt's lead to 2-1 in the match.
Set Four: No. 6 seed Washington 26, Pitt 24
After trailing by five (14-9), Pitt climbed back into the set with a 7-1 surge to make it a one-point frame and take the lead, 21-20. The Panthers had match point, 24-26, but the Huskies were able to hold on and force a fifth set with a 26-24 extra-point win.
Set Five: No. 6 seed Washington 15, Pitt 9
A gutting 5-0 run with three hitting errors by the Panthers helped the Huskies achieve an early 6-1 advantage. The Panthers cut the margin to 10-6 following kills by junior Jordan Lockwood and Vazquez Gomez, but it was not enough to surmount a comeback. Pitt fell, 15-9, in the final frame to drop the match, 3-2.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Despite the loss, Pitt made history with its first NCAA Regional Final appearance in program history. The Panthers topped LIU, 3-0 (April 14), No. 14 seed Utah, 3-0 (April 15), and No. 3 seed Minnesota, 3-2 (April 18), to make history and reach their furthest NCAA tournament run ever.
Pitt earned a hot start to the match by winning the first two frames, 25-20 and 25-21, but was unable to hold off the Huskies' comeback, dropping the next three sets by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 15-9.
The match completed Pitt's historic 2020-21 season while marking the Panthers' first loss of the 2021 calendar year, halting a 15-match win streak.
Senior right side hitter Chinaza Ndee became the 18th player in Pitt history to cross the 1,000-kill threshold for her career after totaling a team-best 16 against the Huskies. She is one of two active Panthers to reach the milestone, alongside classmate Kayla Lund. Lund had 13 kills and a match-best three service aces against Washington in the loss.
Springfield, Neb., native Sabrina Starks had a match-best six blocks for Pitt. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez led Pitt with 13 digs.
Sophomore setter Lexis Akeo produced her fifth double-double of the year with 24 assists and 10 digs.
Pitt had more kills (63-59), assists (58-54) and digs (61-57). The Huskies edged the Panthers in hitting percentage (.245-.207), service aces (9-7) and blocks (12.0-10.0).
Set One: Pitt 25, Washington 20
After a slow opening to the match, Pitt surged with a 7-1 run that included some tough serving by the Panthers to make it 10-5. Pitt pushed its lead to 20-12 following a 3-0 run. Washington made a run of its own, closing the margin to just 22-19. Pitt closed the door on the first frame with a 3-1 run. The Panthers out-hit the Huskies, .250 to .129.
Set Two: Pitt 25, Washington 21
The second frame was closer, with the teams trading leads once after a 6-1 Washington run (Pitt down 10-9). Pitt responded with a 10-2 run to gain a 19-12 margin, but the Huskies fought back. A 5-0 UW run put Washington within two, 19-17. Pitt finished the set to go up, 2-0 in the match.
Set Three: No. 6 seed Washington 25, Pitt 16
Washington found its footing in the third frame, with a hot hitting percentage of .522. Pitt couldn't get much going offensively, hitting .148 for the set. The Huskies found some big runs to keep momentum in the stanza and pulled in a 25-16 win to cut Pitt's lead to 2-1 in the match.
Set Four: No. 6 seed Washington 26, Pitt 24
After trailing by five (14-9), Pitt climbed back into the set with a 7-1 surge to make it a one-point frame and take the lead, 21-20. The Panthers had match point, 24-26, but the Huskies were able to hold on and force a fifth set with a 26-24 extra-point win.
Set Five: No. 6 seed Washington 15, Pitt 9
A gutting 5-0 run with three hitting errors by the Panthers helped the Huskies achieve an early 6-1 advantage. The Panthers cut the margin to 10-6 following kills by junior Jordan Lockwood and Vazquez Gomez, but it was not enough to surmount a comeback. Pitt fell, 15-9, in the final frame to drop the match, 3-2.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitt
UW
Kills
63
59
Errors
29
22
Attempts
164
151
Hitting %
.207
.245
Points
80
80
Assists
58
54
Aces
7
9
Blocks
10
12
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
3
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS/MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballPitt Volleyball | Pitt 3, Clemson 0 | Highlights
Monday, October 06
Pitt Volleyball | Pitt 3, Georgia Tech 1 | Highlights
Monday, October 06
Olivia Babcock Mic'd Up | Pitt LiveWire presented by UPMC
Monday, October 06
Pitt Volleyball | Postgame vs Georgia Tech | Dan Fisher, Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless
Sunday, October 05