No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Virginia Tech

No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball swept Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Point / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball stays on top of the ACC, as they swept Virginia Tech on the road.

Pitt (21-1 overall, 11-1 ACC) improves their winning streak to six matches, as they swept both Cal and No. 5 Stanford two weeks ago, defeated No. 4 Louisville and Notre Dame in four sets and five sets, respectively, last weekend and swept Virginia on Nov. 1.

The Panthers also make it 10 straight wins against the Hokies (7-15 overall, 1-11 ACC) improve their record in the all-time series to 16-6, five straight victories and 7-4 overall in Blacksburg, Va.

Pitt head coach Dan Fisher made two big changes in this match, as he rested both starters graduate student outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez and senior setter Rachel Fairbanks. He brought on sophomore Blaire Bayless in place of Vazquez Gomez at outside hitter and senior Nisa Buzletepe in for Fairbanks.

The Panthers used an 8-0 run early on in the first set to break open a 15-5 lead and would go on to win it, 25-15. They outhit the Hokies, .333 to .143, and sophomore right side Olivia Babcock added four kills and a block.

Virginia Tech did much better in the second set, keeping Pitt from building a big lead and cutting it as close as 20-19 late on. Pitt used a 4-0 run, with redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley making a block and a kill, to take the period, 25-21. Babcock led with six kills and added a service ace and a block.

The Hokies took the lead in the third set and led 18-14 late on. Fisher would bring Vazquez Gomez on for Bayless, which made a big difference for the Panthers.

They would go on an 11-2 run to win the period, 25-20, and the match. Vazquez Gomez made three kills and a block after coming on, while Babcock made four kills during the run.

Babcock put on another stellar performance, leading Pitt with 18 kills, hitting .341 and adding seven digs.

Buzlutepe finished with a double-double for the Panthers, with 31 assists and 10 digs. This is her first double-double for the Panthers and her second-highest assists total this season.

Pitt will stay home next weekend, starting off with No. 25 North Carolina on Nov. 8 at Fitzgerald Field House.

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