Pitt volleyball celebrates a play at the match against Marquette in the Fitzgerald Field House on Sunday, Sept. 22.
No. 1 Pitt volleyball swept both Virginia and Virginia Tech on a weekend trip to Virginia. Pitt (21-1 ACC 11-1) made easy work of the teams and used the time to flesh out its roster.
Starting off in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Panthers held the Cavaliers at a -.011 hitting percentage. Pitt made light work of UVA, going on several runs with the sets ending at 25-9, 25-9 and 25-15. Virginia (17-5 ACC 7-4) was expected to fight a little harder, ranking around the middle of the ACC in terms of conference play.
Pitt’s rotation included the typical starters with head coach Dan Fisher returning to his roots. Fifth-year outside hitter Valeria Vázquez Gomez notched her 1,000th career kill against the Cavaliers. The Panthers racked up nine aces with sophomore right-side hitter Olivia Babcock servicing five of them.
Differing from the Virginia game, Fisher’s rotation in Blacksburg, Virginia, against the Hokies (7-14 ACC 1-10) saw some change-ups. Sophomore outside hitter Blaire Bayless was in for Vázquez Gomez and first-year setter Nisa Buzlutepe was in for senior setter Rachel Fairbanks. Both Fairbanks and Vázquez Gomez are key players in the Panthers’ playbook. First-year middle blocker Dalia Vîrlan started the match as well.
The first set went smoothly for Pitt with a 7-0 service run from Buzlutepe, including two aces — the set ended at 25-15. The second set saw a Hokie response ending at 25-21.
Pitt started struggling in the third set, falling behind as the Hokies gained momentum. The Panthers’ left side attacking was the problem. Sophomore outside hitters Torrey Stafford and Blaire Bayless both hit below .200. However, Babcock’s consistency helped keep the Panthers afloat.
In the Panthers’ fight to keep it in three, Fisher subbed in Vázquez Gomez to change things up at 14-18. The Panthers immediately went on a 10-0 scoring run including four kills from Babcock and two from Vázquez Gomez. A final kill from Vázquez Gomez closed it out at 25-20.
The performances of the Panthers solidify their deserved No. 1 ranking but raise anxieties going into the latter part of the season. The Panthers return at home in the Fitzgerald Field House on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. against UNC.
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