Olivia Babcock Sets New Pitt Volleyball Record

Olivia Babcock set a new Pitt Panthers volleyball record.

Pitt Volleyball RS Olivia Babcock Sets New Program Record / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics /

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball sophomore right side hitter Olivia Babcock had another fantastic performance, setting a new program record.

Babcock had 20 kills, the most for her in three sets, plus five service aces, three digs and three blocks, while also hitting .531 in the sweep of Miami on Nov. 17 at Fitzgerald Field House.

She is now up to 56 service aces on the season, which is a new program record in the 25-point scoring era (2008-present). She broke the previous record of setter Lindsey Zitzke, who had 53 service aces as a freshman in 2011.

"I mean, it means a lot that I'm able to help my team," Babcock said on breaking the record. "It just makes me happy I'm able to contribute as much as I want to."

Babcock has a special top-spin or jump serve that generates a great amount of power, making it difficult for opposing back row players to get a good pass on it or even stop it initially.

One of her best games of the season came in a four-set victory over Boston College on the road on Oct. 4.

Babcock had 12 service aces in the four-set win vs. the Eagles, setting the record for the most in a single match in Pitt history. The previous record for service aces in a match sat at eight total, which Diana Andreyko in a five set win vs. Florida State on the road on Sept. 3, 2005 and Wendy Hatlestad in a sweep vs. Savannah State at home on Sept. 13, 2002.

She also holds the record for most service aces in a match in NCAA Division I this season. She broke the previous high of 11 that Nicholls State junior outside hitter Leah Linares Castro had in the four-set victory in the season opener vs. South Carolina State on Aug. 30.

The match, itself, saw Babcock finish with a triple-double, as she also made 14 kills and 10 digs along with her 12 service aces.

That was the first triple-double for her at Pitt and the first for the program since Rachel Fairbanks had 10 kills, 28 assists and 13 digs in the sweep over BYU In the Second Round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center.

She also broke her freshman total of 53 service aces as well in this match. Even with teams preparing more for her this season, she's continued improving her service game, which she credits to working on her state of mind and on hitting various tosses to cut down on service errors.

"Something we work on a lot is my mindset when I'm serving because it definitely goes in and out," Babcock said. "So I've just been working on having a more consistent mindset when I go back there and then we also do spin school, which is just adjusting to different types of tosses because I need to know that it's not going to be perfect every time. So just knowing how to hit the not-so-perfect tosses and the perfect ones I think that's helped a lot."

Panthers head coach Dan Fisher praise Babcock for her performance and that it was one of the best he has witnessed in a long time.

"For Olivia, it was probably one of the best games in Pitt history," Panthers head coach Dan Fisher said. "If you factor in her serve and how many kills and how many blocks and how high of a percentage she hit. That was about as dominant as I've seen in a while from Liv'. Nice job."

Pitt redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley had a great match herself vs. Miami, making nine kills, four blocks and hitting .750. Kelley has worked with Babcock numerous times at the net for ferocious blocks, but she also enjoys seeing her teammate dominate with her serve too.

"It gets me so hyped. I love watching her serve" Kelley said. "I tell her to just always be in her space, because like she said, she's working on that mental part, which she's gotten really good out. It just gets me hyped and she goes on these long runs that help the team and I love it."

Babcock currently ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 2 in the NCAA with 0.69 aces per set and has proven she is amongst the best in the nation on the service line.

She also has a good chance of breaking the Pitt all-time season record for services aces, which Dee MacAulay set back in 1989 with 67 aces.

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