Pitt
9-2,1-0ACC
#11 SMU
8-3,0-1ACC
No. 5 Pitt Earns First ACC Victory Over No. 11 SMU in Five Set Thriller
9/24/2025 11:51:00 PM | Volleyball
DALLAS, TEXAS – The No. 5 Panthers (9-2, 1-0 ACC) defeated No. 11 SMU (8-3, 0-1 ACC) 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-9 in Moody Coliseum on Wednesday night in Dallas. Olivia Babcock recorded 21 kills on a .421 clip along with 12 digs, four blocks and an assist. Brooke Mosher tied her career high with 50 assists and notched seven digs, a match-high five aces and four blocks.
Pitt held a narrow 9-7 advantage in set one, forcing SMU to take an early timeout. The offense from Blaire Bayless, Babcock and Mosher heated up in the following stretch, and the Mustangs called their final timeout, down 20-14. The Panthers won the next two points, but a 3-0 run caused the Panthers to take a timeout, up 22-17. Two Babcock kills and a termination from Dagmar Mourits sealed the first set victory for Pitt, 25-20.
SMU came out of the break with some fire as it held a 5-1 lead early in set two, but the Panthers battled back to within one at 11-10. The Mustangs picked it up offensively and capitalized on some Pitt errors to force the Panthers to take a timeout, down 17-13. Pitt called another timeout at 19-14, but a pair of Panther kills and a Mosher ace led to SMU taking a timeout with a narrow 20-18 lead. The Panthers continued fighting to tie the score at 22-22 but was unable to close the set as SMU came up with the 25-23 set two victory to tie the match.
The Panthers came out of the gates swinging in set three as they got out to a 4-0 lead, forcing SMU to take an early timeout. The Mustangs continued to fight and tie things up but were unsuccessful, going down 20-14. The Panthers extended their lead once again to 22-15, but a pair of kills from SMU's right side caused Pitt to talk things over at 22-17. A Mallorie Meyer ace, Mourits kill and a Mustang error solidified the 25-19 set three win for the Panthers.
Pitt and SMU continued to battle back and forth, and the Mustangs owned a 15-13 lead at the media break. SMU's offense continued to roll, and Pitt took a timeout down 22-17. The Mustangs went on a 3-1 run to win set four, 25-18, and force a fifth set.
Two Panther kills and another ace from Mosher propelled Pitt to a 3-0 lead, and SMU needed a timeout. Pitt continued on a 4-1 run, and the Mustangs had no other choice but to call their final timeout to try to stop the momentum. SMU tried its best to complete the comeback, but a kill from Babcock finalized the set five win 15-9, and the match, 3-2.
NOTES
• Brooke Mosher tied her career with 50 assists, the most since the 2023 season
• Olivia Babcock recorded a team-best 23 points on the night
• The Panthers recorded their fifth top 25 victory of the season tonight
