Volleyball notches second win of year

After losing its first two matches of the season, the Pitt volleyball team came up big last… After losing its first two matches of the season, the Pitt volleyball team came up big last night as it defeated the St. Francis University Red Flash 3-0.

The shutout is the Panthers’ first of the season and evens their record to 2-2.

“Coming off last weekend where the level of volleyball is much higher and the game was much faster, I think we were almost playing at too slow a level,” head coach Chris Beerman said after the game.

In the first game, the Panthers started strong, scoring the first four points of the match. They tallied 18 kills that game while holding the Red Flash (2-2) to just 12. It proved to be the only game in which St. Francis reached double digits in kills.

The Panther lead never dropped below four points as they took the first game, doubling up the Red Flash 30-15.

The second game saw the Panthers again start off on a 4-0 run. Pitt’s lead would hover around four points until it mounted a 15-6 run, capped by a spectacular jumping block from middle hitter Megan Miller.

The Panthers, powered by continued aggressive attacking, took the second game by a score of 30-14.

St. Francis stepped up in the third game, holding Pitt to just 13 kills and reducing the Panther lead to as little as one point. However, with the score at 12-9 and outside hitter Sarah Rollman serving, Pitt came up with three big points and never looked back. The Panthers took the third game 30-20.

“We just needed to keep playing our game and not worry about what they were doing anymore,” Rollman said.

Rollman finished with 13 kills, 24 total attacks and four aces. She also had eight digs on defense.

Junior outside hitter Wendy Hatlestad finished with 12 kills and eight digs, and senior setter Carrie Norris finished with a game-high 33 set assists.

Hitter Gini Ullery and libero Megan McGrane finished with seven and six digs respectively as the Panthers totaled 40 digs for the game.

Hitters Rebecca Hartmann and Patricia Betzler had eight kills and 19 total attacks, respectively, to lead St. Francis. Setter Kelly Snee chipped in 20 set assists in the loss.

Following the victory, Beerman adopted a new motto for his squad.

“We love competition right now,” Beerman said. “I think that is going to be our motto for the season, to ‘bring it on.'”

The Panthers’ next game will take place tomorrow when they take on the Duke Blue Devils at Fitzgerald Field House. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.