University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
10-2,1-0ACC
Duke
9-3,0-1ACC
Pitt Sweeps Duke For First ACC Victory
9/22/2023 10:20:00 PM | Volleyball
DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 8 University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (10-2, 1-0 ACC) battled to a 3-0 sweep against Duke (9-3, 0-1 ACC) on Friday night. The Panthers were led by freshmen Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock who recorded 15 and 13 kills, respectively.
The Panthers and Blue Devils competed and went back and forth for the majority of the first set, as both programs were tied at 16-16. Babcock served aggressively from the service line once again, going on a 5-0 run to extend the Panthers lead to 22-16. A pair of Duke kills brought the Blue Devils within four, but three Duke errors allowed Pitt to take the first set, 25-20. Pitt's balanced attack continued in the first, as six Panthers registered a kill.
The second set was a fight from start to finish as the Blue Devils and Panthers traded points back and forth. Neither team went on more than three point runs until Babcock caused Duke to get out of system once again, going on a dominant 6-0 run behind an ace, three kills from Stafford and one from Chiamaka Nwokolo. Despite the surging Panthers, the Blue Devils fired back, going on a 6-0 run of their own to tie things up at 21-21. A Duke error and Babcock kill put the Panthers up 23-21, causing a Duke timeout. Both teams sided out at an incredibly high clip, and neither team could pull away until Babcock recorded an ace and Stafford killed a ball to secure the 30-28 second set victory.
Pitt never trailed in set three behind six kills from Stafford and six team aces. Duke forced a Pitt timeout at 17-15 and went on a 4-0 run at the end of the third but were unable to finish the set, giving the Panthers a 25-22 third set win and first ACC victory. Stafford continued to impress, recording six kills in the set to propel the Panthers to a 1-0 start in conference.
NOTES
- Rachel Fairbanks recorded a season-high 33 assists along with seven digs, three blocks and ace
- Torrey Stafford registered 15 kills on a .333 hitting percentage to pace the team
- Emmy Klika dug 16 balls, averaging 5.33 digs per set
UP NEXT
The No. 8 Panthers wrap up the first weekend of ACC play against North Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. Streaming is available on ACCNX.
