Pitt volleyball is the best team in the nation and it’s not close
No. 1 Pitt volleyball is the best team in the nation, and players proved it last night against the in-state rival No. 3 Penn State.
In the three-set sweep, the Panthers separated themselves from the visiting Nittany Lions by a grand total of 23 points. The No. 1 team in the nation shouldn't dominate the No. 3 team this badly, but Pitt did just that.
The sold-out crowd of 11,800 in attendance helped the Panthers cruise to victory, but even if this game was played in Penn State's infamous Rec Hall or Beaver Stadium in front of over 100,000 Nittany Lion fans, Pitt still would have won and probably swept. The Panthers far outmatched the Nittany Lions and a home-court advantage for Penn State wouldn't be able to stop Pitt's dominance.
Penn State's middle blocker, graduate student Taylor Trammell, disagrees with this sentiment.
"If Pitt was at our house, I think that this game would have had a different result," Trammell said after the loss.
She could have a point. If Penn State hosted Wednesday night's game in Rec Hall, the Nittany Lions may have reached 20 points in a set — but believing Penn State would have won if they were at home seems a bit outrageous.
The Panthers could have played the Nittany Lions anywhere in the universe, and it wouldn't have stopped the Panthers' attack led by sophomore outside Torrey Stafford.
The standout sophomore was almost unbelievable, only committing one attacking error all match long. On her 28 swings, the Torrance, California, native earned a kill on 17 of them, good for an incredible .571 hitting percentage from the left pin.
Sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock wasn't as impressive as her sophomore running mate, but she still took advantage of the No. 3 team in the country. Babcock ended her night with 13 kills and a hitting percentage of .281, while also putting four blocks on her tab.
Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley recognized how easy it was for the standout sophomore duo to score with ease against the Nittany Lions.
"I think they're exceptional players, and I think tonight they scored at will," Schumacher-Cawley said. "I think it was probably pretty fun for them to be able to score as quick as they did."
Giving Stafford and Babcock the ball so they could dominate the Nittany Lions was senior setter Rachel Fairbanks who ended her night with 42 assists — 14 per set. When Fairbanks was setting up her teammates, the Panthers hit at an astounding .506 clip.
Senior Emmy Klika's defensive game stood out above the rest for the Panthers as she nabbed 15 digs and didn't make a single error on the eight times she was targeted in serve receive.
Coming into the matchup, head coach Dan Fisher mentioned that this is the best libero and setter play Pitt has had during his tenure. This was apparent against the No. 3 team in the nation. Fisher also knew coming into the game his seniors and sophomores would excel in front of the sold-out Petersen Events Center crowd.
"I think they'll be ready," Fisher said of his team on Monday. "We've got some players that have proven that they like the bright lights."
First-year middle blocker Ryla Jones was not included in this proven group prior to the game. She hadn't played in the Petersen Events Center yet and the most attended game of her collegiate career was 3,633 against Southern California — over 8,000 less than the amount in attendance against Penn State.
During pregame warmups, Fisher was unsure if Jones would play to the best of her ability in front of a sold-out crowd.
"[I'm] pleased with how she handled this environment at her age and experience level," Fisher said. "When I was looking at her face in warm-ups, I was like, 'Hmmm, how's this going to go?' But once the whistle blew, she settled in and competed well."
Fisher is underselling how well the first-year played in the biggest environment of her entire life. Jones finished the sweep with a career-high seven kills on 11 attempts with no hitting errors. And on defense, Jones was one block shy of tying her career high of seven blocks, which she set against USC.
Wherever and whomever this Pitt volleyball team played last night, the opponent would have lost via a sweep.
"I thought they were flawless at times," Schumacher-Cawley said. "And they stepped on the gas and didn't let off. And, you know, I think that's what great teams do."
