Orange rallies past Panthers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Errors and miscommunication aren’t what you expect to see out of the Pitt… LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Errors and miscommunication aren’t what you expect to see out of the Pitt volleyball team, especially not in games of this magnitude.

Already visibly frustrated from letting third-seeded Syracuse win two games in a row to erase a 2-0 deficit, the Panthers committed several uncharacteristic errors that led to a big deficit in the fifth game. Pitt ultimately collapsed in that final frame, falling to the Orange, 21-20, 25-30, 30-20, 30-27 and 15-12 in the first round of the Big East Tournament Friday afternoon.

“I think what you saw was a Syracuse team with five seniors that just played very well under the pressure of being behind 2-0,” head coach Chris Beerman said.

Twice in the decisive game, senior libero Megan McGrane popped the ball up into the air, quickly moving away so that another Panther could get under it to keep play alive. Both times, though, nobody was home, as the ball simply hung in the air before dropping to the court as players looked at each other, confused.

Adding to the Panthers’ frustrations were two ball-handling violations on setter Azadeh Boroumand. The junior setter, getting the starting nod after several strong late-season showings, gave the Orange two points with errant sets, putting a damper on what was otherwise a brilliant performance, as she notched 58 assists to go along with six kills and eight digs.

“I really think she’s back,” he said of Bouroumand’s game. “I was really proud of her performance. I think she showed that she does want to play and that she’s ready to compete.”

He was quick, however, to point out that she is not the same player as his freshman setter, Nicole Taurence, whom Boroumand supplanted prior to the tournament.

“Nicole is very good and we aren’t going to downplay what she’s done for us this year,” he said. “Azadeh is just very physical, and I think without her we lost the blocking and the dumping and that physical advantage at the net. She’s just a very physical player.”

Boroumand wasn’t the only Panther who turned in a stellar performance in a losing effort. McGrane dug 33 balls on the afternoon and gave the Orange fits all afternoon with efficient serving. Fellow senior Gini Ullery also chipped in a team-high 19 kills to go along with nine digs to pace a Panther attack that actually out hit the Orange by a .179 to .129 margin.

But the difference on this day came down to the miscues and the problems posed by Syracuse’s serving.

Several Orange players opted not to toe the back line when serving, but to instead drop far back, hitting more line-drive serves that barely crossed the net and dropped in the shallow part of the Panthers’ side. Syracuse also did its best to serve away from McGrane, who was named Big East Libero of the Year the night before, and mixed up the serves just enough to keep the Pitt defense from getting into a rhythm.

“They served tough,” Beerman said. “Anytime you can ace Megan McGrane six times in a match, you know you’re serving well, because she is one of the best passers out there. Serving and passing definitely were the differences in this match.”

After lackluster offensive play in the first two games, the Orange came out swinging in the third game. Behind strong play from senior outside hitter Kristen Conway, Syracuse never trailed in coasting to an easy game three victory. The teams played an even game in the next set, but Syracuse closed out the match with strong play at the net and timely serving to force the deciding game. With momentum on their side, the Orange opened up a 7-3 lead in the final game and never looked back in advancing to the semi-finals.

The loss all but eliminates the Panthers from contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, the team will finish up with two nonconference games in California against UC Irvine and nationally ranked Long Beach State this weekend. Beerman said he looks for his team to play loose despite the disappointing finish to the season.

“It takes the pressure off,” he said of the likelihood of his team missing out on the NCAAs. “I don’t think there is really an NCAA bid hanging in the balance. You can’t lose 12 games and get a bid. We had our opportunity when we were 16-9 and 9-3 in the conference after that win over Notre Dame and really could have locked one up with three wins, but we didn’t do that.”