PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (1-1, 0-0 ACC) fired on all cylinders to register its first win of the season against Montana (0-2, 0-0 Big Sky), 3-0 on Saturday morning. Five players registered at least six kills while Bre Kelley and Rachel Jepsen hit career highs.
It was all Pitt from the first whistle, as it go out to an early 8-3 lead in the first set. A Julianna Dalton five-point service run and two kills from Bre Kelley extended the lead to 15-6. Four total kills from Kelley and sophomore middle blocker Rachel Jepsen carried the team the rest of the set to a win.
Dalton continued to impress behind the service line, leading the Panthers to an 11-1 lead behind an 8-0 run. Freshmen Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock each registered a pair of kills in the stretch. The duo continued to put pressure on the Grizzlies, combining for nine kills to lead the Panthers to a decisive 25-11 set two win.
The Grizzlies battled the Panthers to begin set three, but the additions of graduate middle blocker and outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez immediately made a difference. Monks recorded four kills and a block hitting .800 and Vazquez Gomez contributed three kills and a block of her own on a .667 clip. A pair of runs from junior libero Emmy Klika and Babcock helped Pitt secure a 3-0 victory.
Notes
• Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Jepsen recorded a career-high seven kills behind a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage
• Junior middle blocker Bre Kelley registered a career-high .875 clip along with seven kills and four blocks
• Freshmen Torrey Stafford, Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless combined for 20 of Pitt’s 43 kills behind a .700, .455 and .625 clip, respectively.
• Junior libero Emmy Klika dug a match-high 15 balls and added a pair of assists.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will return tomorrow, Aug. 27, at Dahlberg Arena for the final day of the Ellesyn Invitational as they take on UTRGV at 10 a.m. MT. Streaming is available on ESPN+.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Pitt Panthers #H2P…