Pitt
0-1,0-0ACC
#1 Nebraska
1-0,0-0Big Ten
No. 3 Panthers Fight but Fall to No. 1 Nebraska in Season Opener
8/22/2025 9:49:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 3 Pitt volleyball team (0-1) fell to No. 2 Nebraska (1-0) 3-1 (22-25, 11-25, 25-20, 23-25) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Ne. at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. Junior Olivia Babcock, on the heels of her AVCA National Player of the Year 2024 campaign, had a match-high 21 kills. In her Pitt debut, outside hitter and international transfer Dagmar Mourits recorded eight kills and eight digs. Redshirt senior Bre Kelley, who earned AVCA All-America honors last season, had five kills on .333 percent hitting and four blocks. Kelley is following a 2024 season where she hit .497, setting both a program and ACC record.
As a team, the Panthers had 42 kills on .111 percent hitting to Nebraska's 51 kills on .224 hitting. Despite the Panthers logging four more aces than the Cornhuskers, Nebraska led the match in blocks, digs and assists.
In their first set of the season, the Panthers trailed the Cornhuskers 10-9 at the media timeout. Pitt used a 3-0 run to grab its first lead at 17-16 and extended it with a strong Kelley block to take an 18-16 lead. 2024 All-ACC Freshman Team selection Ryla Jones' first kill of the season secured a Panthers 20-18 lead at the media timeout. A 5-0 Nebraska tilt gave the Cornhuskers a 23-21 advantage before an off-speed kill from Mourits ended the run. A Nebraska kill ended the first set 25-22.
Pitt trailed Nebraska 6-1 the start of the second set before an emphatic Babcock kill ended the Cornhusker slide. Nebraska extended its lead to 16-5 before a Babcock kill and a Kelley block ended the run and ignited Panther momentum. Despite a late Pitt rally, the Cornhuskers took the second set 25-11.
The Panthers raced out to their largest lead of the contest to open the third set, 7-2. Pitt continued to shift momentum and maintained a 13-12 lead before a stifling 4-1 run forced a Nebraska timeout. The Panthers held a 20-15 lead at the media timeout after a Babcock kill and block assist extended their lead. Mourits ended the set, 25-22, with an assertive kill from an Emery Dupes assist.
Pitt established an 8-6 lead to start the fourth set behind a stonewall block from Mourits. The Panthers and Cornhuskers traded kills before knotting at 12. Nebraska, behind a 3-1 swing, reached an 18-15 lead forcing a Pitt timeout. The Cornhuskers were the first to 20, notching a 20-16 lead at the media timeout. The Panthers battled back with a 4-1 tilt to cut the deficit to one, 21-20, and force a Nebraska timeout. Back-to-back Babcock aces tied the match at 23, but the Panthers fell in the fourth set 25-23.
Game Notes
- Babcock had a match-high 21 kills.
- The Panthers tallied 42 team digs, led by graduate libero Emery Dupes (12)
- The Panthers notched seven team blocks, led by Kelley with four. She finished eighth in the nation in blocks per set (1.49) last season.
- This is the first of three major tournaments the Panthers will play in this season (State Farm Volleyball Showcase and Shriners Children's Showdown at the Net)
