Pitt upset by UConn, falls in Big East ranks

The Pitt women’s volleyball team slipped to third in the Big East following Connecticut’s upset… The Pitt women’s volleyball team slipped to third in the Big East following Connecticut’s upset over the Panthers on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House. The 3-1 loss dropped the team’s record to 6-2 in the Big East and 14-9 overall. The Panthers, who led for most of the first set, looked to be in control of the match. With the score 24-19, freshman Allyson Hodnik set up junior Meagan Dooley for the kill and the set. Momentum changed in the second set, however, as the Huskies began to find a rhythm and overcame a 16-10 deficit to take a 17-16 lead. The two teams exchanged points until Connecticut caught a break and took the set, 25-23. The intensity and competition continued into the third set, as the teams exchanged leads eight times. Down 21-18 in the third set, the Panthers took a 6-3 rally to tie the game at 24. The teams would again trade points before the Huskies scored back-to-back points to take the set, 28-26. In the fourth set, both Pitt and Connecticut had their best hitting percentages of the match, at .406 and .425, respectively. The set was close, with neither team holding a big advantage and exchanging the lead twice. The Huskies used their early momentum to lift themselves over the Panthers and take the set (25-23) and the match. Pittsburgh lost, despite the better hitting percentage (.246-.160) and outblocking (14-4) the Huskies in the match. Hodnik’s 34 assists led the Panthers, who also saw senior Kelly Campbell and sophomore Amy Town each record 12 kills. Junior Michelle Rossi contributed with 16 digs. The Panthers continued Big East play by hosting conference leader St. John’s yesterday afternoon.