Pitt volleyball sweeps opening series in Miss.

Senior Azadeh Boroumand and freshman Meagan Dooley hadn’t played volleyball together before… Senior Azadeh Boroumand and freshman Meagan Dooley hadn’t played volleyball together before opening the season on Friday in the Magnolia Invitational in Oxford, Miss.

From the way they played, however, it seemed as if the pair of new teammates had been together for years.

In Pitt’s season opener against Southeast Missouri State, Boroumand assisted a Dooley kill to close out the first game. In the second, they did it again.

The team chemistry spread throughout the squad and the Panthers (4-0, 0-0 Big East) won all four of their games and swept the invitational hosted by Mississippi.

It was clear that Pitt was the dominant force in the tournament when three Panthers, Boroumand, Dooley and Diana Andreyko, were named to the All-Tournament team. Boroumand was also crowned most valuable player.

Pitt 3, Southeast Missouri State 0

In the first matchup of the four-match invitational, the Panthers, led by senior Boroumand, swept the Redhawks in three games to earn a victory in their regular season opener.

Boroumand wasted no time in her last year at Pitt, posting a career-high 11 kills to go along with 35 assists and 12 digs to complete the triple-double. The Red Deer, Alberta, native also paced head coach Chris Beerman’s Panthers with a .733 hitting percentage over the three-game match.

The Panthers also found leadership from a new face. The freshman outside hitter Dooley had the most kills of any Pitt player with 15. Dooley also followed Boroumand with a .560 hitting percentage for the second highest mark of any Panther on the day.

The Redhawks were able to hang with the Panthers in the first game until Pitt pulled away late for a 30-23 win. The Panthers also won the second game by the same score, but it wasn’t quite as close throughout. Pitt earned a quick lead at 3-2 and never relinquished it.

The Redhawks weren’t going without a fight in the third game. Pitt trailed late at 27-26, but Andreyko lifted the Panthers for a 31-29 win to close out the match.

Pitt 3, Arkansas-Little Rock 1

The Panthers were led by experience in their second match on Friday. It was Boroumand and Andreyko taking the reigns, each posting a double-double to give Pitt its second win in as many tries. Boroumand led the team with 54 assists and added 11 kills. Andreyko did what she does best, putting up 21 kills with 15 digs.

Pitt won the first of an eventual four games by a score of 30-24. Although the opposing Trojans had the lead for most of the first half of the game, the Panthers rallied late again to go up 1-0 in the match.

As if the first game was a wake-up call, Pitt rolled to victory in the second by a score of 30-19. The Panthers had a stranglehold, leading the Trojans by 10 for much of the game.

Arkansas-Little Rock may have been down, but it wasn’t out. The Trojans rallied back in the third game to win 30-26 and avoid the sweep.

The third-game rally took too much out of the Trojans, and it showed. Pitt cruised to a bruising 30-13 victory that saw the Trojans commit several attack errors. Pitt led by as many as 17 points numerous times en route to the victory.

Pitt 3, Western Carolina 0

Pitt cruised to an easy win again and swept the Catamounts three games to none. Pitt held Western Carolina to just 15 points in each of the final two games of the match.

Pitt won the first game 30-20 after jetting out to a quick lead. The Catamounts surged late in the game, but kills by Andreyko and attack errors by Western Carolina put the Catamounts away.

The Panthers rolled in the last two games, winning each by a score of 30-15. Andreyko led the team with nine kills and was followed by Boroumand and Dooley with eight a piece.

Pitt 3, Mississippi 1

Not even the hosting Rebels could stop the Panthers in the last game of the tournament on Saturday. Despite winning a game, something that only happened twice during the invitational, Mississippi couldn’t use the home court advantage to get the win.

Pitt was led again by Boroumand, who recorded her third double-double of the weekend with a team-high 55 assists and 10 digs.

The Panthers won the first game 30-25 after getting out to an early lead. Pitt carried the momentum into the second game when attack errors by Ole Miss capped a nine-point Panther streak to win the game 30-21.

The Rebels won the third game after getting the early lead, and an error by Andreyko didn’t help Pitt any, and Ole Miss took the game 30-27.

However, Pitt rebounded in the fourth game to win 30-27 and put the cap on an undefeated invitational.