Olivia Babcock wins AVCA National Player of the Year

Pitt volleyball sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock won AVCA National Player of the Year on Friday afternoon for her dominant 2024 season. 

Babcock totaled 538 kills with a .323 hitting percentage in her sophomore season. The Los Angeles, California native also tabbed 208 digs, 128 digs and a program record 71 aces in 2024. 

In 2023, Babcock won AVCA National Freshman of the Year and was a First-Team All American. Now, in 2024, Babcock is AVCA National Player of the Year and still a First-Team All American.

Despite the loss in the Final Four, Babcock was dominant for the Panthers. She earned a career-high 33 kills, on her 65 swings with only eight hitting errors, good for a hitting percentage of .385. Babcock also added two assists, two blocks and five digs in the matchup. 

In the Sweet Sixteen five-set victory over Oregon, Babcock had the first 30-plus kill performance of her Pitt career with a total of 31 kills on her 69 swings and 11 hitting errors, good for a .290 hitting percentage. Against Oregon, she had a double-double, tacking on 12 digs to her name in addition to the 31 kills. 

Babcock is also no stranger to triple-doubles, earning two triple-doubles this season. The first triple-double for Babcock came against Boston College when the sophomore earned 14 kills, 10 assists and a Pitt program-record 12 aces.

Babcock’s second triple-double of her career came against Georgia Tech in the Panthers’ regular season finale. She had a more traditional triple-double her second time, tabbing 18 kills, 12 digs and 10 blocks. 

The Sierra Canyon High School graduate also won AVCA National Player of the Week two times this season. Her first National Player of the Week recognition came on Oct. 20 for her performances against Cal and No. 5 Stanford. Then, the second time she earned the prestigious recognition came on Nov. 17 for her performances against Miami and No. 22 Florida State. 

Babcock also won Player of the Year awards for ACC and the AVCA East Coast Regional. She won every Player of the Year award she could have possibly won.

In 2024, Babcock was simply dominant and next to impossible to stop.

“I don’t know how anyone approaches Olivia. She’s a dominant attacker,” Pitt head coach Dan Fisher said.