PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 Pitt volleyball team (28-1, 18-1 ACC) hosts No. 19 Georgia Tech (20-8, 12-7 ACC) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. for the regular season finale. The sold-out match will take place at the Fitzgerald Field House and can be streamed on ACCNX. With the win, the Panthers will be outright ACC Champions.
The Panthers and Yellow Jackets play for the 19th time in program history and hold a dominant 16-2 advantage. Most recently, Pitt defeated Georgia Tech in three sets in Atlanta behind a combined 23 kills from Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford. Pitt’s block and back court defense held the Yellow Jackets to a -.043 hitting percentage.
OMAHA BOUND!
• Graduate outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez heard her name in the PVF draft, selected by the Omaha Supernovas with the sixth pick in the fourth round.
• She joins Pitt volleyball alumni Courtney Buzzerio, Kayla Lund, Leketor Member-Meneh, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Layne Van Buskirk in the league.
BIG TIME BABCOCK
• Olivia Babcock earned her second AVCA National Player of the Week award of the season after her impressive performances against No. 22 Florida State and Miami.
• This was the third time of her career Babcock has been honored.
• She is the only player in program history to have more than one national weekly award to her name as Pitt great Kayla Lund is the only other Panther to add the accolade to her resume.
ACC NODS
• Rachel Fairbanks and Olivia Babcock were named ACC Setter and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively, after two sweeps against No. 22 Florida State and Miami.
• Fairbanks averaged 12.00 assists per set and 2.17 digs per set.
• She set Pitt to a .438 team hitting percentage for both matches.
• Babcock averaged 8.08 points per set, 6.50 kills per set, hitting .525, 1.17 blocks per set, 1.17 digs per set and 1.00 ace per set.
BABCOCK MAKES HISTORY
• Olivia Babcock is now the all-time program leader for most aces in a single season in the 25-point scoring era with 64 aces.
• She reached the feat with her third ace of the night against Miami (11/17) and ended with five for the match.
• Babcock passed Lindsey Zitzke who recorded 53 aces in the 2011 season.
TERRIFIC TRIO
• Rachel Fairbanks, Olivia Babcock…
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