BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 1 Pitt Panthers volleyball team (21-1, 11-1 ACC) dominated Virginia Tech (7-15, 1-11 ACC) in Cassell Coliseum, 25-15, 25-21, 25-20 on Sunday afternoon. Olivia Babcock had a match-high 18 kills hitting .341 on the day while adding seven digs, two blocks and an ace. Nisa Buzlutepe ran the Pitt offense and recorded her first double-double of the season with 31 assists and 10 digs along with two aces and a kill.
The Panthers began clicking early in the first set as they got out to a 10-5 lead, forcing the Hokies to take a timeout. Buzlutepe continued her serving run out of the break and rattled off another five points behind an ace, three Pitt kills and a Virginia Tech hitting error. Pitt once again held a 10 point lead at 20-10 thanks to an efficient attack from Pitt middle blockers Ryla Jones and Bre Kelley. The Hokies battled to diminish the lead but were unsuccessful as the Panthers won the first set, 25-15.
Virginia Tech played Pitt much tougher in the second set as neither team called a timeout before the media break. The Panthers held a narrow 15-13 lead until an ace from Babcock and two Virginia Tech hitting errors caused the Hokies to call a timeout, down 13-18. Both teams went back and forth, but the Hokies eventually called their final timeout at 23-19. A kill from Kelley and a hitting error on the side of the Hokies was enough for Pitt to win the second set, 25-21.
The Hokies and Panthers were tied five different times before the third set media timeout, but Virginia Tech held a 15-11 advantage. The Hokies propelled their lead to 18-14 before Valeria Vazquez Gomez was subbed into the match for the first time. A side out and kill from Kelley allowed Buzlutepe to rattle off three straight points, and the Hokies needed a timeout to think things over. Buzlutepe continued to give the Virginia Tech passers problems, and the Hokies needed another timeout three points later. The Panthers once again recorded three straight points to give themselves match point at 24-18. The Hokies found a way to record a few points, but a kill from Vazquez Gomez was all it took for Pitt to take the third set, 25-20, and the match, 3-0.
NOTES
– Nisa Buzlutepe recorded her first double-double of the season (31A,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Pitt Panthers #H2P…