Pitt
12-2,3-0ACC
Boston College
11-6,0-3ACC
Pitt Earns Victory Over Boston College, Marks Sixth Straight Sweep
9/29/2023 9:37:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH –The No. 8 University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (12-2, 3-0 ACC) started hot and never looked back against Boston College (11-6, 0-3 ACC), earning its sixth straight sweep.
The Panthers got out to an early 8-3 lead as Torrey Stafford, Olivia Babcock, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Emma Monks all registered kills to get on the score sheet early. A 6-3 run, primarily behind the serve of Rachel Fairbanks, extended the lead to 13-6, forcing a Boston College timeout. The Panthers would never let off the breaks, as Stafford went on a late 6-0 run behind an ace and two Valeria Vazquez Gomez kills to put Pitt out of reach, winning the first set 25-12. The Panthers hit .607 as a team in the set, while junior setter Fairbanks dished out 14 assists.
An early 5-0 run for the Panthers in set two forced Boston College to take an early timeout, but a surge from the Eagle offense tied things up at eight a piece. The tie did not last long as Stafford and Cat Flood served tough from the end line and brought the score to 16-10. Pitt and Boston College traded points for the remainder of the set, but the Eagles were never able to create enough momentum for a run. Pitt's impressive offense and a Fairbanks ace sealed the second set victory, 25-19.
The third set was all Pitt as it got out to a demanding 16-3 lead. Eight Panther kills and a handful of Boston College errors was the difference, alongside service pressure from Vazquez Gomez and Flood. Boston College called a timeout at 20-6, after an Emma Monks kill and hitting errors from the Eagles. Despite a 4-0 Eagle run, the Pitt lead was too great, and a Blair Bayless kill solidified the 25-15 third set win and sweep for the Panthers.
NOTES
- Rachel Fairbanks had a season-high 36 assists in the sweep
- Vazquez Gomez, Stafford, Babcock and Monks all hit above .400
- Monks, Nwokolo and Vazquez Gomez all recorded three blocks
UP NEXT
The No. 8 Panthers are back in action at the Fitzgerald Field House on Sunday at 1 p.m., taking on Syracuse. The match is available for viewing on ACCNX.
