PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 seed University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (29-4, 16-2 ACC) evened the score and defeated No. 7 Louisville (27-5, 15-3 ACC) in a reverse sweep Saturday evening at the Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt is the only school in the country to advance to the last three straight National Semifinals.
Pitt started off the first set a bit sluggish as it was forced to take an early timeout, down 11-6. Valeria Vazquez Gomez recorded back-to-back kills a few points later, but the Panthers were unable to string together a substantial run, causing Pitt to take its final timeout, down 14-19. A 5-2 run behind two kills from Emma Monks and a Vazquez Gomez ace forced Louisville to take its first timeout of the match at 21-19. Olivia Babcock would register a kill the following point, but a trio of Cardinal kills was enough for Louisville to take the first set, 25-23.
The Panthers and Cardinals went back and forth in the first half of set two until the score was tied at 13-13. A 6-3 run from Louisville caused Pitt to take its first timeout, with Louisville holding a three-point lead at 19-16. Vazquez Gomez recorded a kill, but a Louisville kill and Pitt hitting error forced the Panthers to take its final timeout. Louisville libero Elena Scott recorded back-to-back aces down the stretch to help the Cardinals secure set two, 25-20.
Louisville held an early 9-7 lead in the third set, but Vazquez Gomez went on a 5-0 serving run, behind two Louisville errors and a kill from Torrey Stafford and Babcock. Louisville would not take a…
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