No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 13 Georgia Tech

No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball swept No. 13 Georgia Tech stay undefeated in 2024.

PITTSBURGH -- No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball dominated ACC rival No. 13 Georgia Tech in Atlanta Sunday afternoon, sweeping yet again to stay undefeated in 2024.

The Panthers (12-0 overall, 2-0 ACC) make it 36 straight set victories with their 12th straight sweep, the only team in Division I to not drop a set and the only undefeated team in the AVCA Coaches Poll. It also improves the Panthers to 16-2 overall against the Yellow Jackets, six straight wins in the series and 9-0 in Atlanta.

Pitt took a quick 8-2 lead to start the first set, with two kills from sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford and three blocks, two each from freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones and sophomore right side Olivia Babcock.

The Panthers then went on an 11-2 run to earn a 19-4 advantage against the Yellow Jackets, who had six attack errors.

Georgia Tech put up a fight at the end, but Pitt would take the first set, 25-11. Pitt outhit Georgia Tech, .522 to -.185, and outblocked them, 7-0.

The Yellow Jackets opened up the second set with a 7-4 lead, but the Panthers battled back with a 7-2 run to take a 11-9 lead. Panthers head coach Dan Fisher made a crucial challenge during this run, giving his team a 10-9 advantage.

Georgia Tech tied it back up at 11, but Pitt would go on a 7-1, leading 18-12 and at the media timeout, thanks to a kill and a block from redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley and two kills and a block from Stafford.

The Panthers would hold off the Yellow Jackets and took the second set, 25-17. The Panthers once again hit .522 and held the Yellow Jackets to .088.

Both teams were tied at 4 to start the third set, but Pitt scored the next eight points to take a 12-4 lead, with three kills each from sixth year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Babcock.

The Panthers went on another run, 11-3, and would finish off the match with a dominant 25-8 set victory.

Pitt held Georgia Tech to a season-low -.043 hitting, which is the lowest they've held an opponent hitting to since Coppin State hit -.099 in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers also posted a season-high 12 blocks, with Kelley leading with six block assists and Jones adding a solo block and four block assists for five total blocks.

Babcock had a sensational match for Pitt, leading with both 12 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the season, while adding five blocks and hitting .478

Stafford continues to show why she is one of the best in the country, as she made 11 kills on .500 hitting, plus six digs and two blocks

Senior setter Rachel Fairbanks posted 32 assists and had eight digs in the win for Pitt over Georgia Tech.

Vazquez Gomez had nine kills and hit .471, while adding three digs and two blocks. Kelley and Jones also had four and three kills themselves.

Pitt will go back out on the road next weekend, starting out with Boston College on Oct. 4.

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