PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For a third consecutive season the Pitt Panthers are going to the women's volleyball national semifinal after a momentous comeback against rival Louisville Saturday at the Fitzgerald Field House.
Panthers trailed two sets to none to last year's NCAA runner-up, only to storm back to outscore the Cardinals 65-43 over the last three sets. Panthers defense held Louisville to -.067 hitting in the final set.
Once again it was the freshmen who were the leading attackers for the Panthers on Saturday. Torrey Stafford had 18 kills and 11 digs, Olivia Babcock (ACC Freshman of the Year) with 16 kills. Graduate transfer Emma Monks had a game-high nine blocks and eight kills. ACC Setter of the Year Rachel Fairbanks with 47 assists and seven digs and senior Valeria Vasquez Gomez with eight kills and four aces.
Pitt had lost six of it's last seven against the Cardinals including in last year's Final Four until coming back to beat Louisville late last month at the Petersen Events Center, also after trailing two sets to none.
The Panthers are now 15-3 since 2020 in the NCAA Tournament. Pitt will now face number one overall seed, 32-1 Nebraska in the national semifinals on Thursday in Tampa Bay. Cornhuskers beat Arkansas 3-1, the only set Nebraska has lost in the NCAA Tournament this year. Their only loss on the season, a sweep at Wisconsin on November 24.
