PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For a second straight week, Pitt will have a team in the national Final Four. The Pitt women’s volleyball team beat number one seed Wisconsin in Madison Saturday night to advance.
Panthers lost the first and fourth sets leads to send the Elite 8 matchup to a deciding fifth. The Panthers led 11-6 in the first to 15, win by two final set, but the defending national champion Badgers went ahead to lead 12-11 with over seven-thousand mostly Wisconsin fans going crazy. It would be tied at 12 and again at 13. Panthers ran off the final two points ending with Courtney Buzzerio’s 18th kill.
"What a game," said Pitt Head Coach Dan Fisher through the team website. "Huge congratulations to Wisconsin on a great season. We have a lot of respect for that program. It's easy to see why they're great. You can see what a volleyball town this is and it was an honor to be here.”
“I don't know how much I can tell you about the Xs and Os. We just found a way. I'm proud of this team. I'm proud that we're doing it in the lineup we're in. Cam Ennis hasn't played outside all year and she's being a true warrior.”
“We're showing a lot of heart in some tough moments. I'm so incredibly proud."
Three Panthers had double-doubles-Valeria Vazquez Gomez with 11 kills and 22 digs, Rachel Fairbanks with 16 digs and 37 assists and Lexis Akeo with 10 digs and 16 assists. The 88 digs set a program NCAA Tournament record in beating their fifth Top 10 ranked opponent the Panthers beat this year. The 31 wins this season is the most since 1990.
Pitt will face the team they shared the ACC Championship with, the second-ranked Louisville Cardinals Thursday in the national semifinals in Omaha. The Cardinals beat Oregon 3-2 Saturday.
The teams split the season series-Panthers winning the first match in five sets on October 23rd at the Fitzgerald Field House. The 30-2 Cardinals with arguably their best performance of the year in a 3-0 sweep of Pitt at home on November 11.