Pitt
9-0,0-0ACC
RV Marquette
4-5,0-0Big East
No. 1 Pitt Sweeps Marquette, Three Panthers Record Double-Digit Kills
9/22/2024 4:04:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH - The No. 1 University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (9-0, 0-0 ACC) upended Marquette (4-5, 0-0 Big East) in three sets for Pitt's ninth straight sweep. Rachel Fairbanks set the Panthers to a .398 team hitting percentage, and Olivia Babcock (14), Torrey Stafford (13) and Valeria Vazquez Gomez (10) all recorded double-digit kills.
The Panthers came out of the gate firing, getting out to an early 7-2 run behind five Pitt kills, forcing Marquette to take an early timeout. The five-point lead quickly turned into 10 as the momentum kept rolling in favor of Pitt, and the Golden Eagles called their second and final timeout, down 7-17. Marquette went on a few mini runs, but a kill from four different Panthers and a Marquette service error on set point allowed Pitt to win the first set, 25-18. Vazquez Gomez finished the set with five kills, hitting .714.
The Golden Eagles came out of the break with some energy, and a pair of Marquette kills and Pitt errors forced the Panthers to take a timeout, down 5-6. Pitt sided out at a high clip for the following stretch and saw production from all three pin hitters to cause the Golden Eagles to take their first timeout at 15-11. Once again, Cat Flood proved efficient from the service line and put together three more points to extend Pitt's lead, 18-11. The Panthers did not allow Marquette to go on a run and won the final points with a kill from Fairbanks and Vazquez Gomez from the hands of Stafford for a 25-18 set two victory.
Pitt continued to roll in the third, and Marquette had no choice but to call a timeout, down 3-7. Shortly after, Fairbanks went on a 4-0 run to extend the Pitt lead to 14-8. A kill from Babcock and an attack error from Marquette was enough for the Golden Eagles to call their final timeout, down 9-16. A service run and an ace from Vazquez Gomez and Stafford impressing from the pin secured the demanding 25-16 set three victory and match, 3-0.
NOTES
- Valeria Vazquez Gomez hit a season-high .476, recording 10 kills
- Emmy Klika recorded a season-high 18 digs, including eight in the second set
- Olivia Babcock tied her season high with nine digs, narrowly missing out on a double-double
- This marked the seventh straight match Cat Flood has recorded an ace
- Rachel Fairbanks registered 39 assists in the sweep, averaged 13 a set
- Torrey Stafford recorded a career-high four assists
UP NEXT
The No. 1 Panthers return to the Fitzgerald Field House next Wednesday night at 5 p.m. to take on UMBC. The match will be broadcasted on ACCNX.
