No. 2 Pitt didn’t waste any time making its mark at Walt Disney World.
On Wednesday night at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, the Panthers jumped No. 17 Tennessee early and never really let go, finishing off a sweep by scores of 25-17, 28-26, 25-20.
The opening set was over almost as soon as it started. Izzy Starck went to the service line and ripped off seven straight serves, including an ace, while also setting Abbey Emch, Ayanna Watson and Olivia Babcock on the way to a 7-0 Pitt lead before the crowd had fully settled in.
Tennessee eventually found its footing, but the damage was already done. Pitt hit .344 in the first set and held the Volunteers to .067.
The second set was a different kind of battle, and Pitt coach Dan Fisher wasn’t shy about what he saw.
"We're clearly not passing the way we want to or feel like we can," Fisher told ESPN after Set 2. "And we're not blocking the way we can either... we're just getting over to them a little too late. I think we could've probably had about 10 more blocks."
Babcock said she could understand the frustration.
"I think he gets frustrated with us because we're just not holding ourselves to high standards. Those are plays that we make in our practice gym every single day, and we were just blowing them out here," Babcock said after the match. "Him getting frustrated can be annoying, but it's definitely what the team needs, and I think he knows that."
Even with the shaky stretch, Pitt still found a way to close the set. Down 23-21 late, the Panthers answered with three key kills from Watson, who finished with 15 kills on .344 hitting, before Babcock finished it off on a kill from a smooth Starck back-set.
"I'm going to be honest: I want the ball in that moment, because I'm excited, and I think taking those big rips gets the team going," Babcock said. "It's really that they trust me in that moment, so I trust myself."
Pitt put the match away in the third after Tennessee tied it 18-18. The Panthers surged ahead with six straight points - nearly seven, until a Tennessee challenge wiped out what would have been the final point - and Babcock added one more kill to seal it. She finished with 17 kills to lead all scorers.
When Pitt’s passing was clean, the middle opened up in a big way. Emch was the biggest beneficiary, turning in a career-high 10 kills on 14 swings for a .643 hitting percentage. Starck said that connection has been a point of emphasis all preseason.
"We've been working so long this preseason on trying to get that middle connection," Starck told ESPN after the match. "I've been trying to get my middles involved as much as possible. It was just really great to see [Abbey] have a great night."
Maaike Heilig also made the most of her chances, finishing with four kills on six swings.
Pitt will now head back to Pittsburgh to officially open the new Victory Heights Arena with matches against Jacksonville on Friday at 7 p.m., High Point on Saturday at 5 p.m., and Wright State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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