Pitt
Louisville
Women's Volleyball Wins Over Defending Champs Louisville
10/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 4, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Pitt’s women’s volleyball team defeated the defending Big East Champions and preseason favorite Louisville, 3-2, at Cardinal Arena, this afternoon. The Panthers won with scores of 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 20-25 and 15-12. Pitt improved to 11-7 on the year and 3-1 in the conference, while the Cardinals slipped to 9-7 overall and 2-1 in the league.
A close deciding set, junior Amy Town gave the Panthers a two-point lead, 12-10, with a kill from sophomore Allyson Hodnik. Pitt lost the next ball, but Town recorded consecutive kills in the next two serves to push the lead to 14-11 and set up match point. Pitt won the set and match with a Cardinal error.
Senior Meagan Dooley led with 22 kills and a .487 hitting percentage. Additionally, senior Melissa Stadelman tallied 15 kills and seven digs, while Town and junior Imani Harper chipped in 13 and 12, respectively. Town posted a double-double with 15 digs.
Defensively, senior Michelle Rossi collected a match-high 23 kills, while Brittany Fallis added another 11.
In the opening set, Rossi recorded a dig on a hard Louisville attack, which led to a kill for Dooley in the middle of the net. On the next play, Town recorded an ace to cut into the Cardinal lead, 15-14. The Panthers and Cards would play it close through the next couple points, but three wide attacks from Louisville pushed Pitt ahead 22-19 and forced a Cardinal timeout.
After the huddle, Hodnik set Dooley, who found an open spot on the court to earn one of her kills in the set. Next, Stadelman gave the Panthers set point with a kill from the right side. Pitt took a 1-0 advantage in the match when Louisville attacked the ball wide, again.
Later, a solo block from Dooley gave Pitt the lead in the third set. Dooley then combined with Town and Stadelman, respectively, on the next two plays for two more blocks and a 12-9 advantage.
However, the Panthers would find themselves trailing 17-14 a short time later and took a timeout. Dooley recorded another kill on the very next play and momentum shifted back to Pitt.
Stadelman, then, collected back-to-back kills to give the Panthers a 21-20 advantage in the contest. A block assist from Harper and Stadelman then pushed Pitt to point 22. With the score later tied at 23, Dooley gave Pitt set point with a kill over the middle. The Panthers won the set, 25-23, off a Louisville error and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Trailing 16-13 in the fourth set, freshman Michelle Walker shifted the momentum for Pitt with two kills during a 3-1 Pitt run. A kill from Harper in the middle would then give the Panthers an 18-17 lead. On the next play, Stadelman aggressively attacked a pass to push ahead 19-17 and forced a Louisville timeout. The Cardinals would come out of the huddle and go on an 8-1 run and tie the match at two sets a piece.
Earlier, Pitt was behind at the start of the second set, but battled back and took a 10-7 lead, following a kill from Harper. That point was earned after a long volley that started with a hustle play from Town.
Later, Town and Dooley recorded a block for the Panthers and lifted the squad to a 15-10 lead in the set. However, the Cardinals would fight back and eventually take the game, 25-20.
Walker finished the day with a career-high seven kills, while Hodnik recorded a match-high 67 assists.
Today's victory was the first win of the series for Pitt since Louisville joined the Big East.
The Panthers travel to Georgetown on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.
