PITTSBURGH — Three University of Pittsburgh volleyball players earned Atlantic Coast Conference weekly honors following the fourth-ranked Panthers’ 2-0 start to the 2026 season.
Senior Olivia Babcock was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week, junior transfer Izzy Starck was selected as Setter of the Week and freshman Ayanna Watson received Freshman of the Week honors.
The awards follow Pitt’s season-opening wins at the Jeep AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, Wis. Pitt defeated No. 3 Kentucky in four sets on Sunday before sweeping Xavier on Monday evening.
Babcock, a two-time defending AVCA National Player of the Year, earned her 10th career ACC Offensive Player of the Week honor and her 16th weekly conference award overall. The senior opened the season with 27 kills, nine digs and four blocks while hitting .339 in the victory over Kentucky. She added 12 kills, five digs, three blocks and two service aces with a .450 hitting percentage in the sweep of Xavier.
Starck, a junior transfer making her debut in a Pitt uniform, recorded double-doubles in both matches. She earned match Most Valuable Player honors against Kentucky after generating 41 assists, 13 digs and five blocks. Starck followed that performance with 29 assists, 10 digs and one block against Xavier, a team that posted a 26-5 record last season.
Watson made her collegiate debut over the weekend, finishing two matches with one attack error on 35 total swings. The freshman recorded six kills, two service aces and two blocks while hitting .300 against Kentucky. She set a career high against Xavier with eight kills, two digs and two blocks while hitting .467.
Pitt will host the Opening Spike Classic at the Petersen Events Center, where the team has won 21 consecutive matches. The Panthers will play No. 15 Kansas on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and No. 6 Wisconsin on Sunday at noon, with No. 5 Stanford also joining the tournament field.
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