PITTSBRUGH — The No. 4 overall and No. 1 seed Pitt volleyball team is set to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend, facing UMBC on Friday night.
Pitt, boasting a 26-4 overall record and an 18-2 slate in the ACC, will play UMBC, who advanced by defeating Albany in the America East Championship. The Panthers have a 5-0 record against UMBC, including a sweep in the 2024 regular season.
The Panthers have earned a share of the ACC Championship with a sweep over Georgia Tech, marking their fourth consecutive ACC title and seventh overall.
Key players like Bre Kelley, Olivia Babcock, Blaire Bayless, and Haiti Tautua’a have captured a conference title in every season of their Pitt careers. Pitt defeated Louisville last Wednesday in three sets to earn a season sweep over the conference rival, a feat not achieved since 2020.
Olivia Babcock notched 22 kills on a .404 hitting percentage, while Brooke Mosher recorded 30 assists and a season-high five kills. Freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch was named the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, averaging 2.33 blocks per set in two sweeps and recording a career-high 10 blocks against Georgia Tech.
Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Bre Kelley earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Babcock, Kelley, and Brooke Mosher were named First Team All-ACC, with Blaire Bayless on the Second Team. Marina Pezelj was recognized on the All-ACC Freshman Team.
Bre Kelley and Brooke Mosher were drafted in the MLV Draft, with Kelley joining the Orlando Valkyries and Mosher going to the Omaha Supernovas. Olivia Babcock made an appearance on SportsCenter to discuss her record-breaking season and the team’s success. She was also highlighted on NFL Countdown before the match against Louisville.
The Panthers played their final match at the Fitzgerald Field House, defeating Boston College in three sets. Pitt hasn’t lost at home since September 14, 2023, when they fell to Oregon. Pitt swept Syracuse at the Field House, hitting a season-high .486, with nine Panthers recording at least one kill. Brooke Mosher recorded her 3,000th career assist against Cal and is averaging a personal best 9.76 assists per set, helping Pitt to a .306 hitting percentage, sixth in the nation.
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