Pitt
Syracuse
Women's Volleyball Earns Another Shutout Victory
9/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 27, 2009
PITTSBURGH—The Panthers remain undefeated at Fitzgerald Field House, as the University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball team recorded its second consecutive shutout and fifth of the season. Pitt improved to 10-6 on the year and 2-0 in the conference with scores of 28-26, 25-16 and 25-19.
Defensively, senior Michelle Rossi led all with a match high 29 digs. Offensively, junior Amy Town recorded her second double-double of the weekend with 14 kills and 11 digs. Additionally, senior Meagan Dooley posted a team-high .609 hitting percentage and a match-high 15 kills.
In the opening set, Town gave the Panthers a 12-11 lead with a kill from sophomore Allyson Hodnik. The play was kept alive due to Rossi’s quick retreat to keep the ball in play for the Panthers.
Despite the Panthers pulling away, 15-11, the Orange (11-5, 1-1 Big East) would soon rally back and keep it close, as each team was repeatedly tied till the 26th point. The Panthers held set point twice, before Dooley’s kill gave the Panthers the go-ahead point. Town then ended the set with one of her game-high six kills.
Dooley also recorded six kills in the contest, while Hodnik collected 18 assists on the 20 Pitt kills.
Next, the Panther would trail again in the second set, but took a 16-14 lead when Dooley recorded a solo block. On the next serve, Dooley and Town would combine on another block for Pitt. Through the first two games, the Panthers were winning the block attack, 8-1.
Later in the set, sophomore Rachel Kalberer recorded three points for Pitt, earning two kills and a block on back-to-back-to-back plays, lifting Pitt to a 24-16 advantage in game two. Harper would give Pitt the 2-0 match lead with her fifth kill of the day.
The third set was different, as Hodnik served an ace and then set senior Melissa Stadelman for the kill on the next possession to open the game ahead, 9-5. Stadelman finished the day with seven kills and four digs.
Pitt kept pushing forward, leading 21-16 with a kill from Town. A block assist from Stadelman and Dooley gave the Panthers a 23-16 advantage and forced a Syracuse timeout. The Orange won the next three possessions, closing the gap to 23-19, but Dooley’s kill gave Pitt match point. The Panthers took the match in three with a kill from Dooley.
Pitt held Syracuse to a .172 hitting clip in the match, and just .044 in the second set. The Panthers continues to out-block their opponents going 9-2 on the day. Dooley led the squad with seven stuffs.
The Panthers travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a 2 p.m. match.
