Volleyball: Cincinnati, Louisville sweep Panthers in conference play

Having home-court advantage did little to help the Pitt women’s volleyball team last weekend,…

The Pitt volleyball team didn’t win a set last weekend, falling to Louisville and Cincinnati.

Jeremiah Au, Staff Photographer

Having home-court advantage did little to help the Pitt women’s volleyball team last weekend, as it dropped a pair of Big East matches without winning a set at the Fitzgerald Field House.

Cincinnati defeated the Panthers 3-0 on Friday night and Sunday brought the same result as No. 17 Louisville also beat Pitt in three straight sets.

According to Pitt head coach Toby Rens, the weekend was a major disappointment.

“We are a better team than what we showed this weekend in our two matches,” Rens said. “Going forward, we need to do a better job of being consistent on our side of the net, and if we do, the wins will take care of themselves.”

Sophomore outside hitter Mechael Guess agreed, noting that her team’s mental focus was not at the level it needed to be.

“When we play tough teams like Cincinnati and Louisville, we have to bring high intensity to each set of each match, and we did not do that this weekend,” Guess said. “That mental preparation is important.”

Cincinnati 3, Pitt 0

In their first conference match at home, the Panthers (10-8, 1-3 Big East) lost to the Bearcats (4-11, 2-1 Big East) with set scores of 25-9, 25-17 and 25-19.

Cincinnati jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the opening set and held the Panthers to just nine points before collecting the set win.

The Panthers managed to improve their efforts in the second set and used a solo block by freshman Jessica Boddy to bring the score to 7-6. But a 9-2 run helped the Bearcats gain a 16-8 advantage that they maintained throughout the set.

Pitt held the lead in the third set at 12-5, thanks largely to three consecutive blocks. However, the Bearcats battled back and tied the score at 17 points each. Cincinnati scored eight of the final 10 points to ensure the set and overall match victory.

The Panthers were led offensively by freshman Amanda Orchard and senior Alexa Campbell, who each contributed six kills. Margy Acton, a senior libero, paced the defense with her 14 digs.

“Amanda was a bright spot off the bench and I was pleased with that,” Rens said. He also noted the difficulty in facing the reigning Big East Champion in Cincinnati.

“Cincinnati is a great team and they have a lot of experience from last year’s team,” Rens added. “They are a junior- and senior-laden team, and they played with a great focus.”

Louisville 3, Pitt 0

The nationally ranked Cardinals (14-2, 3-1 Big East) defeated the Panthers in three sets, with scores of 25-18, 25-12 and 25-22.

The Panthers battled to an 11-11 tie in the first set before the Cardinals put together a 14-7 run to secure the opening set win.

In the second set, Louisville dominated from the beginning and held the lead until the final point of the match, as they earned the 25-12 set victory.

Pitt managed to open the third set with a 5-2 lead and kept the score close, tying the set at 18-18. However, the Cardinals used three kills and a service ace to earn the set and match victory.

For the second match in a row, the Panthers failed to have any player record double-digit kills, as freshman Jessica Wynn led the way with eight. Acton once again led the team in digs with 15.

According to freshman Kate Yeazel — who tallied seven kills on 20 attempts in the match — the Panthers brought their best efforts in the third set, but it was not enough to earn the win.

“I thought we played very well in the third set and had a lot of intensity,” Yeazel said. “We need to find a way to maintain that level throughout the entire match.”

The Panthers return to action next weekend as they travel to face Big East opponents Marquette and Syracuse.

For Guess, the matches will be a chance for Pitt to get back to its winning ways.

“Playing on the road can be tough, as it is a different environment and a different crowd,” Guess said. “Still, I think we can bounce back and bring our best efforts to get the wins.”