Hoping to end losing streak, Panthers stumble

The Pitt women’s volleyball match against Cincinnati on Sunday belonged to its seniors in… The Pitt women’s volleyball match against Cincinnati on Sunday belonged to its seniors in ceremony, but not in the result. The Panthers (15-12, 7-5) honored their five seniors during their last regular-season home match, but lost to the Bearcats, 3-0. Kelly Campbell, Jessica Moses, Monica Macellari, Stephanie Ross and Nicole Taurence all received plaques, flowers and rounds of applause in honor of their four years of service to Pitt’s program. ‘I guess it was bittersweet,’ said Pitt coach Toby Rens. ‘It was nice to celebrate the efforts of the five seniors and what they’ve done for this program. They’ve been a joy to coach for my short time this year.’ On the year, the five seniors have accounted for 55 percent of the team’s points and have also welcomed the challenge of adapting to a new coach in their final year of playing. ‘I really appreciate the effort they’ve made and the changes we’ve seen,’ said Rens. ‘It’s not easy for anybody, but we’ve developed as a team and a program.’ Rens constantly praised his seniors’ excellent work ethic, leadership and determination. But it didn’t all show in Sunday’s loss. Still, Pitt has two games remaining ‘mdash; both on the road. It faces Syracuse this Friday and Marquette on Sunday before hosting the Big East tournament at the Fitzgerald Field House on Nov. 21. The Panthers currently rank sixth in the Big East. With two games remaining, Rens said they’re excited to improve their seed and play in front of their home crowd. ‘It’s one more opportunity for the seniors to play at home,’ said Rens. ‘The idea of playing on your home court means you have to have better focus, regardless of who the opponent is. It still always boils down to how bad you want it.’ The Panthers lost by the scores of 25-12, 25-23 and 25-20 against the Bearcats on Sunday. Pitt managed just a .115 hitting clip and committed 19 attack errors during the loss. Sophomore Amy Town led the Panthers with 11 kills and added four digs. Junior Meagan Dooley added six kills, while Campbell had five. Taurence had 16 assists and junior Michelle Rossi amassed 10 digs. The Panthers struggled on both sides of the net in the first game and failed to get anything going. ‘They came out gunning and doing what they do,’ said Rens. ‘We were a little tentative at the start. If we would’ve matched them from the start, it probably would’ve been a different outcome.’ Eventually, as the Panthers gained more confidence, their hitting clip improved to .138 in the second game, which was the closest game in the contest. Neither team stretched its lead past three points throughout the match. Later in the match, Moses and Ross combined on a block to give Pitt a 17-16 lead. On the next play, Moses and Campbell stuffed another Bearcat attack to give Pitt a two-point lead and force a Cincinnati timeout. Later, the Panthers gained a 21-19 advantage on a block from Dooley and Campbell and forced another Bearcat timeout. Dooley then capped a 2-1 run for the Panthers with a kill, but it was their last score of the match as the Bearcats closed out the game on a 5-0 run. The Panthers came out of the break and opened the third set to the tune of a 9-4 lead. But the Bearcats went on a 9-1 run to gain a 13-10 advantage. The Panthers battled to tie the match at 15 all, and then later at 18. But from then, the Bearcats finished on a 7-2 run to close out the match. It was similar to what happened to Pitt Friday night against Louisville, a matchup Pitt also lost. Like it did on Sunday against Cincinnati, the team had problems attacking the Cardinals, hitting -.069, .159 and .244 in the three sets. Louisville also outblocked Pitt, 11-4. Offensively, Campbell led the Panthers with 15 kills, while also posting seven digs. Dooley hit .400 and tied sophomore Amy Town for second on the team with five kills. Freshman Allyson Hodnik’s 18 assists were a team high. Pitt battled back and looked strong in the third set, but eventually lost control. Despite the losses, Rens said he was impressed with Pitt’s resiliency against a tough opponent. ‘You certainly don’t have any breathing room against a team at that level,’ said Rens. He added that Syracuse and Marquette both play different styles, with Syracuse being very similar to Pitt. ‘I’m expecting some long rallies and close games,’ said Rens of Syracuse. ‘They’re also fighting to get into the [Big East] tournament. We’re playing to the higher seed.’ -Staff writer Jay Huerbin contributed to this report