Large crowd witnesses Pitt sweep Duquesne

Nothing scares the women’s volleyball team, not even stage fright.

On Wednesday, the girls… Nothing scares the women’s volleyball team, not even stage fright.

On Wednesday, the girls defeated cross-town rival Duquesne and showed 1,077 fans why they won the Big East Championship last season. It was the second largest crowd ever for a Pitt volleyball match.

The night featured “Field House Frenzy,” which brought out many fans to cheer on the team as the Panthers (4-3) defeated the Dukes 3-0. The fans were also on hand to witness the unveiling of last year’s Big East Championship banner.

Megan Miller and Gini Ullery led the Panthers to a three-game sweep over the Dukes, with scores of 30-21, 30-26 and 30-28 in three competitive games.

Following the ceremonies and eventually walking away with a nine-point victory, the Panthers were in complete control of game one as they jumped out with an early lead and held onto it.

Duquesne attempted to get back into it in game two, but failed and came up on the losing side of a 30-26 score, despite keeping the game close throughout most of the action.

Miller made her presence known in the middle with 14 kills and just two errors in 24 attempts. In the match, she recorded a season-best three blocks. She also collected two solo stuffs.

Game three proved to be the better of the three games when the Dukes were able to tie the score at 28, but dropped the final two points and headed back down Fifth Avenue to their home on the wrong end of a sweep.

Three Panthers reached double-figures in kills on the game including Miller and freshman Diana Andreyko, but Ullery posted the match-high with 17 in 45 attempts.

Jessica McDonald was the leader at the net with four blocks, while Azadeh Boroumand chipped in with a match-high 47 assists as well as seven digs.

Junior Megan McGrane posted a match-high 23 digs to give her 1,217 for her career, 49 behind Marcia Thiesen, for third place on the Panthers’ all-time list.

The Panthers will resume play this weekend when they travel to Indiana to participate in the Indiana Invitational. Matches scheduled are against Kent State, Alabama and the host Indiana Hoosiers starting tonight.