Inside The Panthers

Pitt Volleyball Dominates Penn State in Sweep

The Pitt Panthers volleyball team dominated rival Penn State in a sweep at home.

Dominic Campbell

No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 3 Penn State in the Keystone Classic at the Petersen Events Center
No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 3 Penn State in the Keystone Classic at the Petersen Events Center / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball dominated their rival in the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in front of a sold out crowd at the Petersen Events Center, getting a sweep in the Keystone Classic.

The win for the Panthers (7-0) is their second straight win against the Nittany Lions (8-0), who they last defeated in the Second Round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in four sets, also at the Petersen Events Center. It is the Panthers' first win at home vs. the Nittany Lions in 37 years, when they swept them in three sets on Nov. 8, 1987.

Pitt started out the first set with a quick 6-1 set, with sophomores in outside hitter Torrey Stafford and right side hitter Olivia Babcock getting two kills, forcing a Penn State timeout.

The Nittany Lions kept it within four, but a quick 6-2 run by the Panthers got them up 16-8, forcing another timeout for the road team in a raucuous environment.

Pitt would hold on for the 25-15 first set victory, as they out-hit Penn State, .429 to .118. Stafford had five kills on eight attacks, .625, and freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones had four kills on five attacks, .800.

The second set was much cloesr between the two teams, with the Nittany Lions keeping it within one at 17-16, forcing Panthers head coach Dan Fisher to call a timeout.

Stafford would get a kill, Penn State junior middle blocker Maggie Mendelson committed an attack error and then a service ace from Pitt senior setter Rachel Fairbanks led the road team to call a timeout down 21-17.

Babcock and redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley had back-to-back kills, then after a Nittany Lions point, Stafford and Jones had back-to-back kills to give the Panthers a 25-19, set victory and a two set lead.

Pitt would star again in the third set, dominating in every aspect; passing, setting, serving, defense, hitting and more, taking an 18-8 lead. Penn State would go on a 6-0 run, resulting in two Pitt timeouts

Stafford starred again for the Panthers, with three straight kills to put them up 21-15. A service error and three kills from sixth year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez, gave the Panthers a 25-18 set victory and the victory.

The Panthers still remain the only team in Division I to not drop a set this season, with their sweep of the Nittany Lions.

Pitt will stay at home this weekend, as they face off against East Carolina at Fitzgerald Field House on Sept. 20, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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