LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The No. 1 University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (4-0, 0-0 ACC) won its first match of the California swing against No. 23 USC (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) on Wednesday evening. Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock combined for 30 kills while Rachel Fairbanks led the team with 38 assists and eight digs.
The Panthers and Trojans played tight in the beginning of the first set, as both teams were tied at nine a piece early. A pair of USC kills and an ace forced Pitt to take its first timeout. Valeria Vazquez Gomez impressed behind the service line to tie the set up at 15-15. Babcock recorded two straight kills to allow Pitt to take a 17-15 lead, but USC did not let up, as both teams went point for point. That was until a Trojan service error and another Babcock kill led USC to take a timeout, down 21-23. A Pitt service error and a kill for the Trojans forced the Panthers to take their second and final timeout. Stafford responded with a kill of her own, and USC took their last timeout. Neither team could string together two straight points to take the set until a USC service error and a Vazquez Gomez ace allowed Pitt to secure the first set, 31-29.
The Trojans responded well coming out of the break as both teams were tied at 10-10 early in the set. A kill a piece from Vazquez Gomez, Stafford and Babcock and an error from USC allowed Pitt to head into the media timeout up 15-11. The three pin hitters converted from the front row once again and forced USC to take a timeout as Pitt…
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