Pitt
South Florida
Women's Volleyball Holds Off USF
10/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 4, 2008
Coach Rens Post-game
PITTSBURGH-Winning their fifth five-set match, Pitt's women's volleyball team held off a comeback in a 3-2 win over USF, this afternoon, during its Field House Frenzy at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers won with scores of 25-23, 27-25, 22-25, 19-25 and 15-10.
This afternoon's match marked the fifth five-set contest the Panthers (10-7, 3-0 Big East) have played in the last six outings. Pitt hosted three of those matches and is on a seven-match win streak.
Sophomore Amy Town (Orillia, Ont./Orillia) recorded a double-double with a team-high 17 kills and 10 digs in the match, senior Kelly Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield/Pacific) followed with 16 kills and 13 digs.
Additionally, senior Nicole Taurence (Trenton, Mich./Trenton) had 34 assists and junior Michelle Rossi (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) chipped in 18 digs.
With the match tied 2-2, the Panthers took the early lead at 5-3 in the deciding set. A few plays later Campbell gave Pitt its eighth point with a kill that split two defenders just behind the back row line. Freshman Allyson Hodnik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) collected the assist on the play and gave Pitt its ninth point on the next ball with a dump. Hodnik recorded 16 assists in the contest.
Later, Pitt earned match point with a botched USF (10-7, 1-2 Big East) play at the net. The Panthers would then win the match off an attack from the Bulls.
In the opening set, freshman Tara Rohall (South Park, Pa./South Park) entered the contest and recorded a dig that led to a Campbell kill and a16-14 Pitt lead.
Later the Panthers were trailing 21-19, but back-to-back errors by the Bulls tied the set at 21 and forced a USF timeout. After the timeout junior Meagan Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) tallied a kill to give Pitt the advantage.
A few plays later, Rossi gave the Panthers a set point with her eighth ace of the season. She recorded three of Pitt's six aces in the contest. The Panthers would win the match 25-23 thanks to Dooley's 155th kill of the season.
Pitt got off to a slow start in the second set, but used a 9-1 run to take a 12-7 lead. During the run, Taurence assisted on three Campbell kills and recorded two kills herself.
Next, the squad was down 19-16 when the Panthers short 3-2 run tied the match at 21 with an ace from Campbell, her 13th of the season.
The Panthers once again fell behind 23-21, but came back to have a set point at 24-23. A tip over the net from Campbell gave the Panthers another set point after a sideout. Pitt won the set with a block assist from freshman Hannah Swysgood (Sunbury, Ohio/Big Walnut) and Dooley.
Motivated by the crowd, Pitt led 8-5 in the third set thanks to a block assist from senior Jessica Moses (North Olmstead, Ohio/Lutheran West) and Taurence. However, a push from the Bulls would keep the set close and eventually tied at 20. A 4-2 run by the Bulls forced the Panthers to take a break, but a block assist on the next play would give USF its first set of the match.
In the fourth set, Pitt was led by Swysgood and Town with three kills a piece, but the squad was unable to hold off South Florida (25-19).
As a team, Pitt hit .258 in the match and blocked eight attacks.
Pitt hosts Georgetown at 2 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 5.
