Volleyball spooks UConn, 3-0

It was a day to honor five Panther seniors. It was a day to remember how they have influenced… It was a day to honor five Panther seniors. It was a day to remember how they have influenced the success of the women’s volleyball team at Pitt. But it was also a day these five young women proved they are not done fighting — not at all.

Each one of the seniors was honored on Halloween Sunday, as the Panthers treated their fans at the Fitzgerald Field House to a decisive 3-0 win over previously undefeated UConn

Pitt (18-5 overall, 6-0 Big East) captured its eighth straight victory in three strong games by scores of 30-19, 30-21 and 30-17.

Early on, Pitt’s Megan Miller came out hitting strong and never let up. She took advantage of both high and low sets from sophomore setter Azadeh Boroumand to trick the Huskies (15-7, 5-1), leaving them scrambling to wonder what was coming next. Miller ended the match with 15 kills and three blocks.

“We knew this was a big opportunity to come out and play big,” Miller said of the senior’s final regular-season home game.

Abby Fechhelm added eight kills, four digs and two assists. Jessica McDonald hit for a perfect 1.000, completing all five of her kill attempts, and also had three blocks. Lindsay Macke had eight digs and three assists for the Panthers, while teammate Melissa Whaley had two digs and one assist.

Although this was a day for seniors, Panther underclassmen did their part in adding another victory to the team’s record.

“Everyone connects; everyone works really well together on this team,” Boroumand commented after the game, adding, “No one is selfish.”

Boroumand finished the game with 41 assists, five digs and three blocks. Junior Gini Ullery had a match-high 16 kills and eight digs and junior libero Megan McGrane added a match-high 17 digs.

Several times during the match, McGrane, Boroumand and Ullery worked like a machine to rack up points for the Panthers. On one particular occasion, early in game one, McGrane dug a bullet that came from the UConn side of the court. Boroumand followed the popped ball and set Ullery along the net.

The connection was perfect, and it left the UConn player on her back, helpless and unable to answer to the Panthers’ power.

“We’re the type of team that is ready for big matches,” head coach Chris Beerman said following the Panthers’ win. “UConn is a very good team. We just have to keep our energy up when we play other teams,” he added.

With this victory, Pitt has now won 12 straight Big East games, and looks to continue fighting hard to defend their conference title. The Panthers will begin a four-game road trip over the span of the next two weeks. Rutgers and Seton Hall are the first two stops the team will make before heading to Notre Dame on Nov. 12, and rounding off the regular season in Syracuse on the Nov. 14.

Notre Dame is currently the only other unbeaten team remaining in the Big East, and the ensuing match may come to be one of the most important for the Panthers so far this season.

Beerman has no doubts about his team being able to perform while on the road.

“We’re usually better on the road than we are at home,” Beerman said. “So I feel pretty good right now.”