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No. 3 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Virginia

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 2:10 PM ET

Courtesy of Pitt Athleics

PITTSBURGH — No. 3 Pitt Panthers volleyball showed their dominance once again in the ACC, as they swept Virginia at Fitzgerald Field House.

The Panthers improve to 21-3 overall, 13-1 in the ACC, first in the conference, and 11-0 at home, with this serving as the ninth straight win for them.

The Cavaliers drop to 10-14 overall, 3-11 in the ACC, 5-7 on the road and this serves as their sixth straight defeat.

Great Start to First Set Leads to Easy Victory

Pitt lost starting setter, senior Brooke Mosher, after she twisted her ankle early after colliding with redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley after the first point in the first set.

Redshirt sophomore setter Haiti Tautua'a came in for Mosher and helped Pitt take a 12-4 lead early on, forcing a timeout from Virginia.

The Cavaliers battled back with a 5-1 run to trim the deficit to 13-9 and kept the Panthers' lead to just four points at 17-13.

Pitt would finish off the first set on an 8-2 run, winning 25-15, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Panthers only hit .185, but held the Cavaliers to a -.069 hitting percentage in the first set. Both juniors in right side Olivia Babcock and outside hitter Blaire Bayless led the way with three kills each.

Panthers Win Second Set Over Cavaliers With Late Run

Virginia had a much better start in the second set, with a 6-4 lead early on. Pitt responded with a 3-0 run to take the lead, with an ace from Babcock, but Virginia tied it back up at 7-7.

The Panthers built leads of 9-7, 10-8 and 13-9, but the Cavaliers stayed with it, cutting the deficit back each time, down 13-12 and then tying it up at 14-14, before the Panthers took a 15-14 lead at the media timeout.

Cavaliers freshman outside hitter Reagan Ennist led the way for the road team with five kills and a block at that point.

Pitt went on a 5-2 run out of the media timeout, making their lead 20-16, but Virginia cut it back to just one point at 20-19, with back-to-back aces from junior setter Hannah Scott.

The Panthers finished off the second set with a 5-0 run, with Bayless making two kills, Babcock adding one, and then Kelley combining with Tautua'a and Bayless for back-to-back blocks to win the set, 25-19.

Pitt hit much better in the second set, .379, with Tautua'a leading the way with 13 assists. Babcock and Bayless each led the way with four kills each.

The Panthers also made a lineup change in the second set, with sophomore Mallorie Meyer taking over as libero in place of redshirt senior Emery Dupes, who started.

Pitt Finishes Off Virginia in Third Set, Secures Sweep

Pitt started out the third set with a 5-3 lead, increased it to 10-6 and then made it 12-7, forcing Virginia to take their first timeout.

Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Sophia Gregoire came in early on for Babcock at right side and sophomore middle blocker Ryla Jones made her first appearance in this set.

Pitt went out on a 6-2 run out of the timeout, making it 18-9 and forcing another Virginia timeout, then closed out the set on an 7-3 run, 25-12, securing the sweep.

Players of the Game for the Panthers

Babcock and Bayless both led the Panthers with 11 kills each, with Babcock hitting .308 and adding four digs, five blocks, an assist and an ace, while Bayless added a dig and two blocks.

Freshman outside hitter Marina Pezelj had a solid outing for Pitt, with seven kills on 11 swings, hitting .545, leading the team with eight digs and making three blocks.

Tautua'a excelled for the Panthers, putting up a career-highs of 31 assists and four blocks, guiding her team to a .333 hitting percentage.

Pitt finished with 15 total blocks against Virginia, their second most on the season, just behind their 17.5 total blocks in the five-set road win over then ranked No. 21 North Carolina on Nov. 2.

Freshman Abbey Emch got the start and made five blocks, with one solo, while also adding six kills and hitting .667. Kelley led the Panthers with seven blocks against the Cavaliers, while Jones added three in the third set.

Pitt Continues Domination of Virginia in All-Time Series

Pitt improves to 20-3 against Virginia in the all-time series, 9-2 at home, 15-2 since joining the ACC in 2013 and makes it 13-straight victories over them.

The last time the Panthers lost to the Cavaliers was back on Oct. 2, 2015 in a four-set defeat on the road.