Pitt
Duke
No. 1 Panthers Earn 20th Sweep Over Duke Sunday Afternoon
11/10/2024 3:06:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH - The No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball team (23-1, 13-1 ACC) earned its 20th sweep of the season against Duke (9-16, 5-9 ACC) on Sunday afternoon in front of another sold-out crowd, 25-10, 25-11, 25-13. Torrey Stafford led the Panthers with 13 kills, five digs, four assists, three blocks and an ace, hitting .480.
Once again, Pitt started off on the right foot and immediately forced Duke to take a timeout, down 1-7. The Blue Devils tried to punch through the Pitt block and cause some chaos on the Panther side, but a 7-4 run powered by Pitt pin hitters Stafford, Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Olivia Babcock caused Duke to take its final timeout. The Panthers maintained a 10 point lead throughout the next stretch, but a 5-0 service run from Vazquez Gomez and kills from Stafford, Babcock and Bre Kelley was enough for Pitt to take the dominant first set win, 25-10.
Duke came out of the break strong as the Blue Devils were knotted up at six apiece. Pitt surged with a 5-1 run that forced Duke to take a timeout. Mallorie Meyer rattled off three more serves from the line until a Blue Devil kill stopped the bleeding. Stafford recorded three of the next six points for the Panthers, and Duke took its final timeout at 20-11. Dillyn Griffin continued to serve tough behind the end line and led Pitt to win the final five points and take the second set, 25-11.
Neither team called a timeout at the beginning of the third set as Pitt held a comfortable 15-6 lead at the media break. Four unforced Duke errors, two kills from Babcock and a terminating swing from Blaire Bayless led Duke to take a timeout, down 13-22. Stafford recorded an ace right after, and the Blue Devils needed their second and final timeout. Two attack errors from Duke culminated in a Pitt third set win, 25-13, and a 3-0 sweep.
NOTES
- This match marks Torrey Stafford's 10th match that she has hit above .400 with at least 10 attempts
- Emmy Klika had a match-high 12 digs, her sixth straight match that she has recorded double-digit digs
- Bre Kelley had a match-high six blocks on the afternoon
UP NEXT
The No. 1 Panthers are back at the Fitzgerald Field House next weekend as they play No. 24 Florida State and Miami. Pitt takes on the Seminoles Friday night at 5 p.m. and the Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for senior day. Valeria Vazquez Gomez, Cat Flood, Rachel Fairbanks, Emmy Klika and Nisa Buzlutepe will be honored for their careers at Pitt.
