Pitt
RV Virginia
No. 1 Pitt Downs Virginia in Three Sets Friday Night
11/1/2024 10:38:00 PM | Volleyball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball team (20-1, 10-1 ACC) dominated Virginia (17-5, 7-4 ACC) on Friday night in Charlottesville, 25-9, 25-9, 25-15. Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock combined for 22 kills, 13 digs and seven blocks. Valeria Vazquez Gomez notched her 1,000th career kill in the first set, becoming the 19th player in program history to reach the milestone.
The Panthers came out of the gates hot in the first set, as Virginia needed a timeout, down 0-4. Vazquez Gomez continued putting pressure on the Virginia passers. Behind tough serving, two Pitt blocks and a Stafford kill, Pitt extended its lead to 9-0. The Cavaliers notched a few points but couldn't string together enough for a significant run, calling a timeout at 13-2. Babcock notched three consecutive aces out of the break and extended a dominant Pitt lead to 21-2. Two kills apiece from Stafford and Vazquez Gomez was enough for Pitt to win the set, 25-9.
The beginning of the second set mirrored the first as Virginia called a timeout, down 0-4. Virginia notched a few points, but suffocating service pressure and an almost unstoppable Pitt offense gave the Cavaliers problems, forcing them to take their second timeout, down 2-11. Virginia tried everything it could to even the score, but Pitt continued to roll, taking the second set, 25-9.
Pitt continued its ability to start sets off strong with an early 6-1 lead, forcing Virginia to take a timeout. The Panthers and Cavaliers traded points back and forth until a 15-8 Pitt advantage led to Virginia calling its final timeout. A 10-7 run and a 6-0 service run from Vazquez Gomez was what Pitt needed to win the third set, 25-15, and the match, 3-0.
NOTES
- Pitt has now held opponents to less than a .100 hitting percentage 10 times this season
- Emmy Klika had a match-high 13 digs, five more than the next closest player
- The Panthers aced Virginia nine times and was only aced once
UP NEXT
The No. 1 Panthers wrap up the weekend slate in Blacksburg on Sunday against Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed on ACCNX.
