Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Kentucky, Makes Final Four

Pitt Panthers volleyball swept Kentucky to make the Final Four.

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Win / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball played one of their best matches of the season, taking down No. 3 Kentucky in the Elite Eight at the Petersen Events Center.

The win puts Pitt (33-1) into the Final Four for the fourth straight season, the only team in Division I to do so. It also keeps Pitt undefeated at home this season, 19-0, and makes it 36 straight matches they've won in Pittsburgh.

Both teams kept going back-and-forth to start the first set, tied at 10-10, but Pitt would go on a 9-3 run to build a 19-13 lead.

The Wildcats committed five service errors and also six attack errors, with the Panthers making two blocks.

Sixth year Valeria Vazquez Gomez made two kills and also an important dig earlier on and redshirt middle blocker Bre Kelley made a kill and two blocks, keeping the Panthers in the lead. Freshman libero/defensive specialist Mallorie Meyer also had a long service run, continuing her great play in the NCAA Tournament for the Panthers.

Kentucky would fight back, as they went on a 7-3 run to make it 22-20, with SEC Player of the Year in sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye making two kills and redshirt freshman middle blocker Brooke Bultema making a kill and a block.

Pitt head coach Dan Fisher made a crucial challenge, putting them up 23-20, but Kentucky cut it back to 23-22 after a DeLeye kill and an attack error on Pitt sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford.

Panthers sophomore right side Olivia Babcock came up with two crucial kills back-to-back to win the first set, 25-22. She led her team with six kills, five digs and hit .545 in the period.

Kentucky started off the second set with a 5-0 lead, but Pitt would battle back with a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to 6-5. Kelley made a kill and a block to keep Pitt in it.

The Wildcats tried to pull away, but the Panthers stayed in the set, keeping it at 14-13.

Kentucky then embarked on a 7-2 run to build a 22-15 lead and looked like they were on their way to tying up the match at one set a piece. DeLeye had three kills, while Bultema made two kills a solo block on the scoring run.

Vazquez Gomez made a kill to end the run, which allowed Meyer to come back to the service line.

Meyer then led the Panthers on a comeback, as they scored the next six points to take a 23-22 lead. the Wildcats had three attack errors during the run, Stafford and Vazquez Gomez made kills and senior setter Rachel Fairbanks and Kelley combined for a block.

Kentucky got a block to tie it at 23, but an attack error from DeLeye allowed Fairbanks to deliver a service ace to complete the comeback on a 9-1 run and win the second set for Pitt, 25-23.

Both teams kept it close to start the third set at 10-10, but the Panthers would pull away with a 7-2 run to make it 17-12 and force a timeout from the Wildcats. Babcock made two kills, a block and a service ace on the scoring run

Kentucky would score three of the next four points to cut it to 18-15, but Babcock made a kill and sophomore outside hitter Blaire Bayless and Kelley combined for a block to make it 20-15 and burn the last timeout from Kentucky.

The Wildcats made three attack errors and Kelley made a kill, then Stafford also made a kill to finish off the set, 25-17, and win the match for the Panthers.

Ptit will face the winner of No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 2 Stanford in the Final Four on Dec. 19 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

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