Pitt
22-1,12-1ACC
#25 North Carolina
18-4,10-3ACC
No. 1 Pitt Sweeps No. 25 North Carolina Friday Night
11/8/2024 9:04:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH - The No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball team (22-1, 12-1 ACC) swept No. 25 North Carolina (18-4, 10-3 ACC) on Friday night in front of a sold out crowd, 25-14, 25-22, 25-16. The win marked the 500th victory at the historic Fitzgerald Field House. Olivia Babcock had a match-high 18 kills and hit .484 while adding three aces, three digs and two blocks. Senior libero Emmy Klika paced the match with 11 digs.
The Panthers seized momentum early in the match, forcing North Carolina to take a timeout, down 6-12. Four combined kills from Babcock and Torrey Stafford caused the Tar Heels to take their final timeout at 19-12. Babcock recorded two more aces for her third consecutive winning serve to extend the lead to 21-12. The Panthers closed out the first set, 25-14.
The second set was much tighter, as North Carolina competed well against Pitt throughout the entire 25 points. Neither team called a timeout in the beginning of the second set as Pitt held a 15-10 advantage at the media break. The Tar Heels came within two at 15-13, but three different Panther kills and a few unforced errors on the side of North Carolina forced the Tar Heels to take a timeout, down 17-20. Valeria Vazquez Gomez recorded a kill out of the break but a 3-0 North Carolina run caused Pitt to think things over. Another Tar Heel point was enough for the Panthers to take their second and final timeout. A terminating swing from Vazquez Gomez and Babcock led to a final timeout from North Carolina. Two kills from Babcock was all it took for Pitt to win the second set, 25-22.
Pitt came out of the break firing on all cylinders as it got out to an 8-3 run. The Panthers went on a 4-1 run and North Carolina needed a timeout. An efficient Pitt attack was too much for the Tar Heels to handle. A final kill from Bre Kelley secured the third set win, 25-16, and the match, 3-0.
NOTES
- This marks the second straight match that Olivia Babcock has recorded 18 kills, both in three sets
- Rachel Fairbanks notched 37 assists and led Pitt to a .434 hitting percentage
- Five Panthers recorded at least five kills (Babcock, Stafford, Vazquez Gomez, Kelley, Jones)
UP NEXT
The No. 1 Panthers finish the home slate against Duke on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed on ACCNX.
