First-year outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) screams following a point during the Elite Eight matchup against Louisville on Saturday afternoon in the Fitzgerald Field House.
In a battle to earn the title of the best volleyball team in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, No. 1 Pitt swept No. 3 Penn State and not a single set was necessarily close — the Nittany Lions didn’t reach 20 points in any of them.
No. 1 was clearly better than No. 3, by a large and definitive margin.
The Panthers displayed this quick sweep in front of a sold-out Petersen Events Center of 11,800 fans, something Pitt head coach Dan Fisher is extremely proud of.
“Just thrilled with a great crowd,” Fisher said. “I thought the energy was incredible. And just really appreciate the Pitt fans, the volleyball fans [and] the students coming out and helping us make history.”
The 11,800 fans gave senior libero Emmy Klika, who has played in multiple Final Fours, chills while playing the Nittany Lions.
“I got chills like hearing the crowd cheer for us,” Klika said, “Seeing all the seats filled, I think it’s just a testament to the spirit not just the school has but the city has around our team and volleyball in general, feels very special to be a part of this group.”
First set
Pitt came out and dominated the Nittany Lions, winning 25-15, with ease. Senior setter Rachel Fairbanks led the Panthers to a .429 hitting percentage, while Pitt’s defense held the Nittany Lions to. a 118 hitting percentage.
Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford earned five kills in the first set, while both sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock and first-year middle blocker Ryla Jones earned four kills.
It wasn’t just an insane offensive set for Pitt. Klika added eight digs, three shy of her season-high, and as a team, the Panthers earned 20 digs. Pitt also earned three total blocks in the first set.
Klika attributes her impressive performance digging the ball to the preparation the Panthers did before the game.
“We had a really good scout and we prepared really well defensively,” Klika said. “I was hearing [Fisher] saying, ‘trust your eyes’ and I was just trusting what I was seeing and reacting.”
Second set
The team from State College, Pennsylvania didn’t allow the Panthers to walk all over them for the entire match. The two top three teams went back and forth in the second set until the 18-17 match point.
With a chance to knot the game back up at 18, Stafford denied the Nittany Lions. Fairbanks found the soaring Stafford from the back row and she crushed the ball straight down on the Penn State side of the floor.
After Stafford’s kill, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley would call a timeout, but it couldn’t resurrect the Nittany Lions. Pitt would go on a 6-2 run after Stafford’s kill and won the second set 25-19.
Penn State seemed far less shell-shocked by the Pitt crowd, but Pitt’s star power overcame the Nittany Lions’ talent in the second set.
Third set
The third set looked eerily similar to the first set. The Panthers dominated the Nittany Lions for the first 16 poits they earned, leading 16-6. But the Nittany Lions showed they are a gritty group by going on a 8-2 run and only trailing 18-14.
But Stafford, as she did in the second set, responded for the Panthers, this time from the outside. She earned three straight kills for Pitt and gave the Panthers a comfy seven-point cushion.
Pitt cruised through the rest of the set, winning 25-18. After this win, Pitt has now won 21 straight sets to start the year — the only team in the country to still not lose a set.
Every Pitt player excelled in the bright lights, but Stafford soared higher than the rest. She finished with multiple kills in clutch moments and a season-high 16 kills.
The Torrance, California native believes she was able to put on this impressive performance because of her mindset.
“I think that every year I strive to get better,” Stafford said. “I never wanted to become a complacent player.”
Pitt’s next test is this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Fitzgerald Field House where they face off against Eastern Carolina, who currently leads the nation in opponent hitting percentage. The game is watchable on ACCNX
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