Pitt
1-2,0-0ACC
#25 TCU
0-1,0-0Big 12
No. 3 Pitt Opens State Farm Showcase with Win over No. 25 TCU
8/31/2025 5:28:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 3 Panthers (1-2, 0-0 ACC) defeated No. 25 TCU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 3–1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-15, 25-21) in the State Farm Showcase at PPG Paints Arena Sunday afternoon. Olivia Babcock, who earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors last week, led the match with 19 kills on a .381 hitting percentage.
Offensively, Blaire Bayless tallied a career-high 14 kills on .448 hitting. Brook Mosher, on the heels of earning ACC Setter of the Week honors, had a match-high 40 assists. The Panthers had 54 kills on .333 hitting and eight aces.
Pitt logged 10 team blocks, led by 2025 AVCA Player of the Year Watch List member Bre Kelley, who had eight. Lining up against Kelley for TCU was her sister, Becca, as the two met healthy for the first time in their careers. Pitt's stout defense held TCU to a .220 hitting clip.
The Panthers took the first set 25-23 after jumping out to a 6-4 lead behind two Izzy Masten aces. Pitt's Brooke Mosher evened the match at 9-9 with an ace of her own. The Panthers went on a convincing 8-2 run, forcing a TCU timeout and giving Pitt a 17-11 lead. The Horned Frogs rallied to even the match at 19, using an equalizing 8-2 run. Pitt took the set with a dominant Babcock kill on set point to take a 1-0 lead.
TCU took set two 25-22 after notching 17 team points on 14 kills and three aces. Pitt notched back-to-back blocks on TCU's set points after trailing 24-20 but couldn't complete the comeback as the Horned Frogs evened the match at 1-1.
The Panthers took the third set 25-15 after opening on a scorching 5-1 start behind the serve of Mallorie Meyer. Pitt, in control of the set from start to finish, only trailed once at 1-0. The Panthers tallied six more kills than TCU in the third set to take a 2-1 match lead.
Pitt claimed a 15-12 lead at the media timeout of the fourth set, with Babcock notching three kills early in the set. TCU knotted the match at 18 before a Babcock kill and ace gave Pitt a 20-18 lead and forced a Horned Frog timeout. The Panthers went on a 3-1 tilt, forcing another TCU timeout at 23-19. Pitt took the set and the match 25-21 after a TCU serving error on match point.
Pitt plays its second of two games in the State Farm Showcase at PPG Paints Arena tomorrow, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. against No. 13 Arizona State.
NOTES
• Blaire Bayless tallied a career-high 14 kills. Her previous high was 8, which she had three times, most recently on 11/2/24 at Virginia Tech.
• Izzy Masten notched a career-high two aces.
• Pitt moves to 2-1 all-time against TCU, with their last previous meeting in 2011.
• Olivia Babcock has led the Panthers in kills and attacks in all three games this season after being named the 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year and to the 2025 AVCA Player of the Year Watch List.
