Inside The Panthers

Pitt Volleyball Outlasts Georgia Tech in Thriller

Pitt Panthers volleyball outlasted Georgia Tech in a five-set thriller.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Point
Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Point / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball finished the regular season with by defeating No. 19 Georgia Tech in five sets at Fitzgerald Field House in an enthralling match. 

The Panthers (29-1 overall, 19-1 ACC) defeat the Yellow Jackets (20-9 overall, 12-8 ACC) for the second time this season. They swept them in Atlanta on Sept. 29, holding them to a -.043 hitting percentage, third lowest of any Panthers' opponent this season.

It also improves Pitt to 16-2 all-time vs. Georgia Tech, 8-1 at home and is their sixth straight win over Georgia Tech.

The Panthers got out to a great start vs. the Yellow Jackets, with a 9-2 run, then extended that lead to 15-4, 22-9 and then won the set. 25-10.

Pitt got long service runs from senior setter Rachel Fairbanks, sixth year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez and sophomore right side Olivia Babcock. 

The Panthers also outhit the Yellow Jackets, .478 to -0.65 in the first set. Redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley had four kills on four attacks and Torrey Stafford had three kills on six swings in the period.

Georgia Tech started off the second set much better than the first set, as they took an 8-7 lead early on. Junior middle blocker Liv Mogridge led with two kills. 

Pitt responded with a 9-2 run to take a 16-10 lead, as Kelley and Vazquez Gomez had two kills each. 

The Yellow Jackets didn't back down, going on a 9-2 run themselves to retake the lead, 19-18. Senior outside hitter Bianca Bertolino made two kills and a block, junior middle blocker Anna Boezi made a kill and a block and sophomore right side Larissa Mendes made a service ace and a kill for the Yellow Jackets.

Pitt head coach Dan Fisher, surprisingly, chose not to call a timeout during the Georgia Tech run.

Both teams would fight back and forth, but Babcock played a big role for the Panthers, making three kills and giving her team a 24-23 lead at set point.

Mendes then tied it for the Yellow Jackets at 24-24, senior outside hitter Tamara Otene made a kill and both her and Boezi made the block that won them the set and tied it at 1-1.

Pitt bounced back in the third set, dominating Georgia Tech for a 25-13 victory. They outhit them .303 to -.033, and Stafford led the way with seven kills. Babcock also added four kills, two blocks and a service ace in the period.

Georgia Tech took the lead early in the fourth set and used a 5-1 run to go up 13-8. Pitt would try to make numerous comebacks, but Georgia Tech held firm, winning the fourth set, 25-18.

Bertolino starred for the Yellow Jackets, with five kills, three service aces and a block. Otene also had four kills in the perido. 

Georgia Tech took a 2-0 lead to start the fifth set, with two attack errors from Kelley and Babcock. Pitt would respond, with Kelley making two kills and both Babcock and Vazquez Gomez adding one to make it a 4-2 lead and forcing Georgia Tech to take a timeout.

Otene made a kill out of the timeout, but Kelley continued to come up big for the Panthers, with two kills and a block with Babcock to make it 7-3.

The Yellow Jackets would tie it back up at 7-7, with junior libero/defensive specialist Sofia Velez going on a service run.

Pitt scored the next three points, with a kill from Babcock and then freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones making two blocks with Stafford and Babcock, going up 10-7.

Georgia Tech responded by going on a 4-1 run, tying it back up at 11-11. Bertolino and Otene made kills and Mogridge made a solo block, forcing Pitt to take a timeout, 

Stafford and Bertolino made kills, keeping it tied at 12-12. Babcock made a kill and then Bertolino did so, 13-13.

Vazquez Gomez made two kills, but Bertolino and Otene made two kills to make it 15-15. 

Pitt would get a block to take a 16-15 lead and then Babcock made the match-winning kill. 17-15.

“Thought it was an incredible atmosphere, especially in the fifth set," Pitt head coach Dan Fisher said. "Great work by Georgia Tech and [head coach Michelle Collier]. Not just being prepared, but just being tough. They are very capable of playing at a high level in bursts and they really pushed...

“We have an expression, “You don’t need to lose, to learn,” and so hopefully we learn a lot from that as we watch video and I just know that this kind of game will be good as we go into the NCAA Tournament and I’m incredibly proud of our team for winning the ACC, arguably the toughest year in league history. Very proud of the team. Well done.”

Babcock had a triple-double in the win vs. the Yellow Jackets, finishing with 18 kills, 12 digs and 10 blocks.

Those 10 blocks are a career-high and it marks her second triple-double of the season, as she had 14 kills, program-record 12 service aces and 10 digs in the four-set road win vs. Boston College on Oct. 4.

Kelley made a career-high 15 kills and made nine blocks as well in the victory. She also had an important fifth set, making four kills and two blocks.

This also marks the 11th ranked win of the season for Pitt and the second this week, as they defeated rival No. 3 Louisville in four sets on the road on Nov. 27.

Kelley sees these wins as incredibly important for the postseason and that it shows how strong of a team Pitt really is.

“I think it just shows that we have grit and that our team is the type of team that doesn’t let down without a fight," Kelley said. "Once you hear a scream like that from us, it’s probably us telling you we’re going to turn it on real quick. Like just be disciplined and I think just winning both of these huge games back-to-back is just gonna prepare us for huge game for the tournament.”

Pitt will await for their next game, that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will decide on Dec. 1 at 6:00 p.m.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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