Pitt
15-3,7-1ACC
#4 Louisville
14-4,6-2ACC
Olivia Babcock Sets Individual Match Kill Record in Five-Set Victory over No. 4 Louisville
10/19/2025 5:40:00 PM | Volleyball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Olivia Babcock set the program's individual match kill record with 41 in the five-set victory over No. 4 Louisville (25-20, 19-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-11) on Sunday afternoon in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. Brooke Mosher added a career-high 60 assists with 13 digs to help the No. 6 Panthers (15-3, 7-1 ACC) record its seventh conference win of the season.
Pitt began set one with all the momentum, forcing Louisville to take an early timeout down 6-1. The Cardinals were able to get within one at 12-11, but three Babcock points and a kill from Blaire Bayless stunted Louisville's run, and it needed to take its final timeout down 17-12. Pitt didn't slow down and won set one, 25-20.
The Cardinals rebounded well after being down a set, flipping the energy toward their side. Dan Fisher called a timeout at 9-4 and once again at 11-4. The Panthers were able to get within four points at 20-16 behind two unforced Louisville errors and a Bayless kill, and the Cardinals took a timeout. Despite fighting off three set points, the Panthers were unable to complete the comeback, and Louisville won the second set, 25-19.
Once again, the Panthers were unable to get off to a good start and needed to talk things over at 7-3. Pitt attempted to even the score down the stretch but had to take another timeout down 16-11. The Panthers caught some fire after the break and narrowly trailed at 18-15 as Louisville needed a timeout of its own, however, the Cardinals eventually took set three, 25-20.
The Panthers came out in set four hot, as three early kills from Babcock along with Bre Kelley and Mosher propelled them to a 9-5 start. Louisville in turn called a timeout to slow down the momentum. Babcock and Marina Pezelj combined for five kills after the break to force the Cardinals to call their second and final timeout, down 15-9. Babcock's 13 kills in the frame allowed for Pitt to win set four, 25-17, and extend the match to five sets.
Freshman Izzy Masten served Pitt to a 5-3 lead in the fifth set, and Louisville had no choice but to call a timeout. A Ryla Jones kill extended Pitt's lead to 10-6, but two points that went Louisville's way caused Pitt to take a timeout with a narrow 10-8 advantage. Two kills from Babcock and a Louisville hitting error resulted in a second Cardinal timeout at 13-10. A termination from Bre Kelley cemented Pitt's comeback victory over the Cardinals, marking two consecutive away wins in the series.
The Panthers return to the Fitzgerald Field House to take on NC State this Friday at 7 p.m. and Wake Forest on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches can be streamed on ACCNX.
NOTES
- Olivia Babcock now holds Pitt's individual match kill record with 41, rewriting the previous record of 37 set by Ann Marie Lucanie against Auburn on 9/13/91
- Brooke Mosher recorded a career-high 60 assists, the most since assistant coach Kamalani Akeo in 2017
- Mallorie Meyer followed up her previous career-high nine digs and six assists on Friday with 10 digs and seven assists against the Cardinals
