Volleyball: Panthers enter ACC with pair of victories over the weekend

Pitt women’s volleyball left little doubt that it belongs in the Atlantic Coast Conference this weekend, as the Panthers beat both Clemson and Georgia Tech without dropping a set.

The Panthers’ perfect weekend was due largely in part to their offensive execution. Pitt had more than a .300 hit percentage in both games.

“We took care of our side of the net,” head coach Dan Fisher said. 

The Panthers began ACC play against Clemson on Friday night at Fitzgerald Field House.

The first set started slowly for Pitt, as the Panthers went down 14-13. Clemson’s lead was short-lived, however, as the Panthers went on to take seven of the next eight points and win the set in convincing fashion.

The second set was more of the same for the Panthers. Pitt enjoyed a 7-0 run and was able to pull away fairly early in the set behind juniors Jessica Wynn and Lindsey Zitzke. 

The Tigers put up more of a fight in the third set and proved that they would not go down easily. Pitt’s defense was lacking, and the team was unable to produce the blocks necessary to take control of the set. 

Clemson was able to notch several kills and keep the match tied on several occasions. Still, the Panthers were able to take control and win the third set behind kills from Wynn and junior Kate Yeazel. 

After a convincing win Friday night, the Panthers looked to continue their success against Georgia Tech on Sunday.

The first set was back-and-forth early on. Both the Panthers and the Yellow Jackets traded runs until the later portion of the first set. 

Neither team ever had complete control of the set, but the Panthers were able to win 26-24 after a crucial last point.

The Jackets were off to a good start in the second set, as they took an early 12-9 lead. After a timeout, the Panthers responded by going on a 6-3 run to tie the set at 15. 

Yeazel was dominant, and she and the Panthers were able to take control and win the set 25-21.

The third set was dominated by the Panthers. The Jackets were never able to respond to Pitt’s dominant offensive play as the Panthers recorded a .333 hitting percentage in the set, enough to carry them to a 25-14 victory.

Pitt took a big step toward proving itself as a ACC contender this season. While it is still early in the season, the team has played with a quiet confidence its last few matches, which will most likely continue.

“We hit at a very high percentage,” said Yeazel. “We’ve learned how to bounce back after messing up on a few points.” 

With the wins, Pitt improved to 10-5 overall and 2-0 in league play. For a team chosen to finish second to last in the preseason ACC poll, this start is a positive one. 

“We use the rankings as motivation,” said Wynn. “We know we’re better than that.”

Even with the wins, the Panthers still feel they have room to improve as Georgia Tech and Clemson each scored into the twenties in multiple sets. Defensive work could go a long way toward meeting the requirements to improve. 

“These games were much closer than they needed to be,” said Wynn.