Pitt
Robert Morris
Acton Shatters Pitt Record For Digs
10/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 19, 2010
PITTSBURGH—Sophomore Margy Acton set a Pitt and Fitzgerald Field House record in digs, as the University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball team earned a five-set victory over Robert Morris, 3-2, at Fitzgerald Field House this evening. The Panthers won with scores of 23-25, 25-13, 24-26, 25-16 and 15-13. Pitt improved to 10-13 on the season, while the Colonials dropped to 8-15 overall.
Acton recorded an astounding 45 digs in the victory, shattering Megan McGrane’s 38 digs against Dayton in 2004. Those 45 digs were also the most since Michelle Rossi’s 37 last season. At Fitzgerald Field House, the record last stood at 39 digs from Kelly Cochran during the 2003 match between Ball State and Robert Morris.
In her first season with the Panthers, Acton has collected double figures in digs in 17 matches. Furthermore, seven of those contests included 20-plus passes for the team’s libero. Acton’s best performance of the evening was the 16 digs she totaled in the opening set.
Three other Panthers record season-highs and double-figure digs on the night. Senior Melanie Feldman turned in a career-high 18 passes, while classmates Amy Town and Alyssa King recorded double-doubles. Town earned her sixth of the year with a match- and season-high 25 kills and 16 digs, while King posted her seventh with on the season with a match- and career-high 53 assists and 13 digs.
In the match, Pitt trailed 11-7 in the tiebreaker, but a four-point rally would knot the score at 11 all. The run included two kills and a solo block from sophomore Jenn Katona, who was playing middle in the final set.
A few plays later, senior Imani Harper got on top of a long RMU pass to give Pitt match point at 14-13. The Colonials called a timeout, hoping to gain momentum, but a Town kill on the next serve secured the hard-fought 3-2 victory for the Panthers.
As a team, Pitt out-hit Robert Morris 72-62. Harper finished the match with 13 kills, while senior Rachel Kalberer chipped in 10.
After dropping the first set, Pitt lead 10-1 in the second game. That score included three aces from Acton. The Panthers tallied six aces in the match and have 73 on the season to-date.
Leading 16-8 in that second set, freshman Monica Wignot entered the match and recorded her first-career kill with an assist from King. Wignot finished with three kills in the set.
The Panthers would later lead 21-11 when a Colonial served the ball long. On the next play, Town found the back-right corner of the court when she attacked a long pass. Pitt would hold set point after Harper earned her fifth kill of the match. The Panthers tied the match at 1-1 with the 25-13 victory. Town recorded a set-high five kills, while King led all with 11 assists in the game.
Later, Pitt trailed 2-1 in the match and 10-3 in the fourth set. However, the Panthers would use a 12-4 run to take a 15-14 lead in the game. The rally was capped off by back-to-back kills from King to Harper. During that rally, the Panthers recorded several hustle plays, including a great save by Kalberer on a pass headed out of bounds.
The Panthers would extend their lead and walk away with a 25-16 victory, forcing the fifth set. Harper led all with six kills and a .462 hitting clip in that game, while Acton boasted 13 digs.
Earlier in the match, Pitt trailed 13-10 in the first set, forcing Head Coach Toby Rens to call a timeout. Later, junior Kiesha Leggs kept it a three-point game (17-14), when she attacked a long pass and sparked a 5-1 Panther run.
Later, Town would tie the set at 18 with a backrow attack setup by King. The same play gave the Panthers a 20-19 advantage a few serves later.
However, Robert Morris would push and take a 24-22 lead off a Pitt miscue. The Panthers called another timeout to regroup and hold the Colonials. On the next serve, King set Town for Pitt’s 23rd point of the game, but RMU’s middle would earn the winning point for the Colonials on the next volley. Town recorded the first two kills of the match.
In the third set, Harper recorded a solo block to knot the game at five. Later, a soft touch from Town gave the Panthers a 15-13 advantage in the contest.
Pitt would lead 19-16 in the third set when Robert Morris decided to call a timeout. The Colonials would rally three points off the next three serves to tie the game. Later, a hard swing from Town evened the score at 20. Then, Kalberer and Harper combined on a block to put the Panthers ahead 21-20.
Pitt won three of the next six balls to hold set point at 24-23. However, RMU would hold the Panthers at 24, while scoring on the next six serves. Town tallied another set-high with seven kills in the third game.
The Panthers resume Big East action this weekend with a 5 p.m. match at Villanova on Friday, Oct. 22.
