PITTSBURGH — She’s one of the most talented athletes in our city right now.
Pitt volleyball’s Olivia Babcock just won back-to-back ACC player of the year awards and is likely to repeat as AVCA National Player of the Year.
She also just set a program record for most kills in a single season during Friday’s NCAA Tournament win over UMBC, but before the national accolades, record-setting performances and Final Four appearances, there was just a text message.
One of my friends was looking for a new club team," Babcock told Channel 11’s Shelby Cassesse. “So she had texted me, was like, ‘hey, do you want to come to this clinic with me?’”
Until then, Babcock only played school and rec league volleyball, fitting it in with water polo, soccer and track, but that clinic with her friend changed everything.
She, unsurprisingly, impressed and was offered a spot on a club team.
“This was when I started to realize how much I loved volleyball,” Babcock said. “So, it was kind of like I would miss more soccer practices because I was trying to see what my future was going to bring.”
From a 10th grader playing competitively for the first time to National Freshman of the Year just four years later, Babcock has been on an almost unprecedented rise to the top of her sport.
Though all the other sports eventually took a back seat, they built the foundation for the dominant athlete today.
“It just gives you a bunch of different skills and also teaches you to be a different competitor in different situations, and it also teaches you to be a good teammate, because you’re with so many different teams. So, I feel like just having that experience has caused me to be the competitor and teammate I am today, and I’m able to really see what this team needs and try and adapt to that.”
Having a twin sister naturally fuels that competitive fire, but Babcock says the differences between her and Natalie Babcock are what make their relationship special.
Olivia’s the athlete, while Natalie’s passionate about fashion and beauty.
“It just reminded us that we could be different and still love each other equally, and I feel like just seeing a different perspective on how someone wants to navigate their life compared to mine, I feel like it just kind of brings me down to reality.”
While some siblings love to keep each other humble, Natalie and Olivia do anything but.
“She does not keep me humble,” Babcock said of Natalie with a smile. “She is the worst. She always texts me. She’s like, ' you are so amazing. You’re insane. How are you doing this?’”
On the outside looking in, it seems so natural for Babcock, but behind the passion and talent is years of hard work, both on her craft and even her confidence.
Behind the passion and talent that seems so natural is years of hard work,
“I think I was pretty competitive growing up. I definitely wasn’t the same in the sense that I would probably shy away more from the big moments. I feel like I would never give up, but I feel like back in the day, I was more susceptible to a mistake at that time, even if I still wanted the moment. Just maturity and more experience, I’ve learned how to control my emotions and learn to not get in my head. So, I feel like that has just definitely carried on from now and then, staying in the fight the whole time.”
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