University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
UMBC
No. 1 Seed Panthers Set to Host First Weekend of NCAA Tournament Play
12/4/2025 11:50:00 AM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 4 overall and No. 1 seed Pitt volleyball team (26-4, 18-2 ACC) is set to play host for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend and will take on UMBC (13-11, 7-3 America East) on Friday night, 30 minutes after the 4:00 p.m. match concludes. With a win, the Panthers will play the winner of Xavier/Michigan on Saturday night at 7 p.m. for a spot in their sixth straight Regional Semifinal.
Pitt and UMBC play for the sixth time in program history and are 5-0 against the Retrievers. The two played in the 2024 regular season as Pitt earned the sweep. The Retrievers return to the Petersen Events Center after making an appearance in the 2023 Pittsburgh Regional, eventually dropping the first round match to USC. UMBC defeated Albany in the America East Championship to advance to its second NCAA Tournament in three years.
The Panthers will potentially play Michigan for the 10th time in the Round of 32. The Wolverines lead the overall series 6-3 and won the most recent matchup in five sets in 2018. Michigan finished the regular season with a 21-10 record and went 11-9 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 when they lost in the first round to Ball State in five sets.
With a win from each team, Pitt and Xavier will meet for the third time. The Musketeers boast a 26-4 overall record, including a 14-2 slate in the Big East and a second-place finish in conference play behind Creighton.
FOUR STRAIGHT!
• The Panthers earned a share of the ACC Championship with a sweep over Georgia Tech on Sunday.
• This marks Pitt's fourth consecutive ACC title and seventh overall.
• Bre Kelley, Olivia Babcock, Blaire Bayless and Haiti Tautua'a have captured a conference title in every season of their Pitt careers.
SWEPT SEASON SERIES
• Pitt defeated Louisville last Wednesday in three sets to earn a season sweep over the conference rival.
• This marked the first time the Panthers have swept the Cardinals since 2020.
• Olivia Babcock notched 22 kills on a .404 hitting percentage, and Brooke Mosher recorded 30 assists and a season-high five kills.
ROOKIE COMING ALIVE
• Freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch was named the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
• She averaged 2.33 blocks per set in two sweeps and recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Georgia Tech to help secure the ACC Championship.
ALL-ACC AWARDS
• The Pitt volleyball team was well represented on the ACC awards list.
• Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
• Bre Kelley is the first Panther in program history to earn ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Babcock, Kelley and Brooke Mosher were named First Team All-ACC, and Blaire Bayless notched Second Team honors.
• Marina Pezelj impressed as a rookie and saw her name on the All-ACC Freshman Team.
PRO PANTHERS!
• Bre Kelley and Brooke Mosher were chosen in the MLV Draft.
• Kelley was drafted number six overall in the first round by the reigning champion Orlando Valkyries, and Brooke Mosher went in the second round as the 15th pick by the Omaha Supernovas.
• Kelley will be joining Pitt libero great Emmy Klika in Orlando.
A NATIONAL PHENOM
• Olivia Babcock made an appearance on SportsCenter with Christine Williamson on Nov. 25, breaking down her record-breaking season and the team's success.
• In addition, Babcock was highlighted on NFL Countdown heading into the match against Louisville on Oct. 19.
FIELD HOUSE FINALE
• The Panthers played their final match in the Fitzgerald Field House on Nov. 23
• Pitt defeated Boston College in three sets, and Olivia Babcock recorded a match-high 13 kills while Brooke Mosher added 36 assists.
• The Panthers haven't lost at home since Sept. 14, 2023, when they fell to Oregon in five sets.
SQUEEZED THE ORANGE
• Pitt swept Syracuse in dominant fashion at the Field House as the Panthers hit a season-high .486.
• Nine Panthers recorded at least one kill, including Mallorie Meyer who notched the first kill of her career as a libero.
MOSHER MAGIC
• Brooke Mosher recorded her 3,000th career assist against Cal.
• The redshirt senior is currently averaging a personal best 9.76 assists per set and pacing Pitt to a .306 hitting percentage, good for sixth in the nation.
• She has registered seven double-doubles this season and has a team-high 40 aces.
