No. 4 Pitt Stifles Virginia Tech

Sunday, October 30

Blacksburg, VA

1 PM

Pitt

22-2,12-0ACC

Virginia Tech

9-14,2-10ACC

Pittsburgh

Virginia Tech

No. 4 Pitt Stifles Virginia Tech

10/30/2022 4:29:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

The Panthers have been ranked No. 4 by the NCAA DI Volleyball Committee

BLACKSBURG, VA – No. 4 Pitt (22-2, 12-0) added to its historic streak on Sunday, sweeping Virginia Tech (25-14, 25-17, 25-17) inside Cassell Coliseum. The Panthers have now won 15 matches in a row and extend the longest active road winning streak in Division I to 13.

The Panther's defense was oppressive, setting a new program record for the lowest hitting percentage allowed in an ACC match, -.037. Emmy Klika set a new season high with 13 digs while Serena Gray and Chiamaka Nwokolo each made four blocks in a dominant display.

QUICK HITS

The Panthers were ranked No. 4 in the NCAA DI Volleyball Committee rankings, moving up one spot from last month.
Pitt held Virginia Tech to -.037 hitting, the lowest percentage in an ACC match in program history.
It is the third time the Panthers have held an ACC opponent to negative hitting in the Dan Fisher era.
Pitt finishes undefeated in October (9-0) marking just the sixth time in program history that Pitt has posted a perfect October: also 1974, 1975, 1987, 1996 and 2019.
Serena Gray led the team with eight kills on .800 hitting – a new season high and her highest hitting percentage as a Panther.
Valeria Vazquez Gomez recorded her 500^th career kill in the opening set. She finished with seven kills to bring her career total to 504.
Pitt is now 14-6 all-time against Virginia Tech and have won the last 24 sets dating back to 2016.
This is the 15^th win in a row for Pitt, the longest winning streak of the season. The Panthers have had at least one 15+ match win streak in each of the last five seasons.
Pitt has started ACC play 12-0 for the third time in the last five years and first since the undefeated 2019 season. Tying 2018 as the second-best start to ACC play in program history.
Pitt's 12 consecutive ACC victories is the longest active conference winning streak by any team in the Power 5 conferences.
The Panthers are the only program in the Power 5 to still be undefeated in conference play.
This was Coach Fisher's 249^th victory at Pitt and the 324^th of his career.

SET 1: PITT 25 – VIRGINIA TECH 14
The Panthers got in front by applying some strong pressure from the service line. The Hokies cut the lead to four, only for Pitt to pull away on a 9-2 scoring run to go in front, 20-9. The Panthers hit .419 as a team while holding VT to negative. Vazquez Gomez led the team with four kills, including the 500^th of her career. Rachel Fairbanks was all over the net, making three blocks while Gray contributed four digs on the back line.

SET 2: PITT 25 – VIRGINIA TECH 17
Another scoring run in the middle of the set vaulted the Panthers to a 21-13 lead, with Gray, Buzzerio and Dalton serving throughout the 10-3 run. Virginia Tech was playing strong defense with some long rallies being exchanged throughout the second, but the Panthers transition offense was firing on all cylinders and Pitt won the set by eight. Dalton was the spark plug on offense, making five kills on .444 hitting in the set as Emmy Klika delivered five more digs to secure her second double-digit dig match of the season.

SET 3: PITT 25 – VIRGINIA TECH 17
Virginia Tech battled to the end, but the Panther block came to life as Pitt delivered four blocks during a 9-2 scoring run that Pitt would ride to the end of the match. Rachel Jepsen made an immediate impact in her time at the end of the set, making two blocks in the final five points, giving Pitt another eight-point set win.

UP NEXT
The Panthers are back on the road next weekend with a pair of ACC matches against Syracuse (Nov. 4) and Boston College (Nov. 6). Both matches will be broadcast on ACCNX.

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