In the battle for the title of the best volleyball team in the state of Pennsylvania, No. 1 Pitt swept No. 3 Penn State, and not a single set was particularly close—the Nittany Lions never reached 20 points in any of them.
No. 1 was significantly better than No. 3, by a large margin.
The Panthers pulled off this quick sweep in front of a sold-out Petersen Events Center of 11,800 fans, something Pitt head coach Dan Fisher is extremely proud of.
“I’m just excited about the great crowd,” Fisher said. “I thought the energy was incredible. And I’m really thankful that the Pitt fans, the volleyball fans (and) the students came out and helped us make history.”
The 11,800 fans gave the experienced libero Emmy Klika, who has already participated in several Final Fours, goosebumps during the game against the Nittany Lions.
“I got goosebumps when I heard the crowd cheering us on,” Klika said. “Seeing all the seats filled, I think, is a testament to the spirit that exists not only in the school but throughout the city around our team and volleyball in general. It’s a very special feeling to be part of this group.”
First sentence
Pitt came out and dominated the Nittany Lions, winning easily 25-15. Veteran setter Rachel Fairbanks led the Panthers to a .429 hitting percentage while Pitt’s defense held the Nittany Lions to a 118 hitting percentage.
Sophomore outside attacker Torrey Stafford had five kills in the first set, while both sophomore outside attacker Olivia Babcock and freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones had four kills.
Not only was it an insane offensive set for Pitt, Klika added eight digs, three shy of her season high, and as a team the Panthers scored 20 digs. Pitt also scored a total of three blocks in the first set.
Klika attributes her impressive ball-winning performance to the Panthers’ pre-game preparation.
“We had a really good scout and we prepared really well defensively,” Klika said. “I heard (Fisher) say, ‘Trust your eyes,’ and I just trusted what I saw and reacted.”
Second movement
The team from State College, Pennsylvania, did not let the Panthers get them down throughout the entire game. In the second set, the two top-three teams fought an exciting duel until the match point came at 18:17.
Stafford had a chance to tie the game at 18-18, but the Nittany Lions could do nothing to stop it. Fairbanks found the high-flying Stafford from the back row and she slammed the ball right into the Penn State side of the court.
After Stafford’s kill, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley called a timeout, but the Nittany Lions were unable to recover. Pitt took a 6-2 lead after Stafford’s kill and won the second set 25-19.
Penn State seemed far less shocked by the Pitt crowd, but in the second set, Pitt’s star power outweighed the Nittany Lions’ talent.
Third movement
The third set looked eerily similar to the first set. The Panthers dominated the Nittany Lions for the first 16 points they scored and led 16-6. But the Nittany Lions showed they are a fighting team by going on an 8-2 run and trailing only 18-14.
But Stafford responded as she had in the second set for the Panthers, this time from the outside. She scored three kills in a row for Pitt and gave the Panthers a comfortable seven-point lead.
Pitt won the rest of the set comfortably, 25:18. With this victory, Pitt has now won 21 sets in a row to start the year – making it the only team in the country that has not lost a set.
Every Pitt player shined in the spotlight, but Stafford outdid everyone else, finishing the game with multiple kills at key moments and matching her season-high with 16 kills.
The Torrance, California native believes she owes this impressive performance to her attitude.
“I think every year I strive to get better,” Stafford said. “I never wanted to become a complacent player.”
Pitt’s next test is this Friday at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House, where they face Eastern Carolina, who currently leads the country in opponents’ hitting percentage. The game can be viewed on ACCNX.
