NCAA Ladies
December 9, 2023
There was no manner.
No manner it might occur once more.
However it did.
Pitt, down two units to none on its dwelling flooring towards ACC rival Louisville, didn’t simply bounce again.
No, the Panthers awakened and completely destroyed Louisville after that, successful 23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 15-7 in a reverse-sweep consequence eerily just like what occurred at Pitt simply three weeks in the past.
Now fourth-seeded Pittsburgh (29-4) will make its third journey in a row to the NCAA Event nationwide semifinals, whereas fifth-seeded Louisville ends its season 27-5.
“I proceed to be amazed by this group and their will,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher mentioned. “They usually’re not performed but.”
Pitt, enjoying the primary match of 4 regional finals, will head to Tampa for the NCAA Division I Ladies’s Volleyball Championship, and performs top-seeded Nebraska after the Huskers obtained previous Arkansas in 4.
Pitt freshman Torrey Stafford led with 18 kills, hitting .378, and had 11 digs and two blocks.
“We regrouped collectively (after the second set) so we might make a distinction within the third set,” Stafford mentioned.
One other freshman, Olivia Babcock, struggled every however completed with 16 kills, an help, three aces, seven digs and 5 blocks.
Emma Monks, the graduate-student switch center from Michigan State, was spectacular, ending with eight kills — together with the match winner — and two errors in 15 assaults to hit .400 and had an help and 9 blocks, one solo. Chiamaka Nwokolo had six kills in 11 errorless attaccks to hit .545 and had 5 blocks, two solo. Valeria Vazquez Gomez struggled with eight kills however 9 errors, however added an help, 4 aces, eight digs and a block.
Rachel Fairbanks had a kill in two errorless tries, 48 assists, an ace, seven digs and three blocks. Her crew hit .286.
“Once you’re down 2-0, you actually don’t have anything to lose,” Fairbanks mentioned. “It’s a must to give it your all. There’s no different possibility. You’ll be able to’t maintain again something.”
The third set was tied 9-9 earlier than the Panthers, who’ve gained 9 a row, ran away. Stafford had six of her kills with no errors in eight assaults. Pitt hit .545 within the fifth set with seven kills and one error in 11 assaults, together with three by Babcock in six errorless swings.
“I assumed it was a hard-fought match. It’s a bummer to be up right here after you lose,” mentioned Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly, who took her crew to the 2021 nationwide semifinals and to final 12 months’s championship match, which it misplaced to Texas. “We’re pleased with this crew and the way far it got here, however yearly is a unique story. From the start of the 12 months to the tip of the 12 months, this crew has reworked and the saddest half is it’s the final day we’re going to be collectively as a bunch.”
Louisville, which completed hitting .213, couldn’t have began higher. The Cardinals hit .333 within the first set and .300 within the second, but it surely was all downhill after that, particularly within the fifth, once they had 5 kills however six errors.
Anna DeBeer had 13 kills, hit .135, and had an help, eight digs and three blocks. Phekran Kong additionally had 13 kills and had only one error in 19 assaults to go along with eight blocks. Aiko Jones, who had seven kills in as many swings to start out the match, completed with 9, 5 errors, an help, 5 digs and 6 blocks. Cara Cresse had 9 kills with two errors in 18 swings to hit .389 and had an ace and 5 blocks, one solo.
Exterior Charitie Luper, the UCLA switch, struggled terribly. She completed with eight kills and 7 errors in 39 assaults and solely late obtained into the constructive for hitting. She had an ace, a block and 6 digs.
Elle Glock had no kills, 39 assists, 4 digs and a block. Elena Scott had 10 digs, 4 assists and three aces.
“They’re the perfect, they’re gritty and their effectively coached,” Fisher mentioned of his rival. “They’ve helped us and we’ve helped them through the years. I want we might have been on the opposite facet of the bracket so we each might have gotten there. They’re have been unimaginable tonight.”
Pittsburgh held a 14-13 blocks benefit and had 11 aces in comparison with Louisville’s 5.
Of their first regular-season assembly in October, Louisville swept at dwelling. Then on November 18 at Pitt, the Panthers additionally fell behind 2-0 earlier than successful 19-25, 24-26, 26-24. ,25-21, 17-15.
The match began, as scheduled, at 4 p.m. Jap. However viewers needed to watch on ESPN+ till 13 minutes after the hour as ESPNU confirmed the tip of a non-conference males’s basketball sport between Grand Canyon and Liberty.
