No. 4 Pitt Volleyball Bounces Back, Sweeps Florida State

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 5:27 PM ET

Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH — No. 4 Pitt Panthers volleyball needed a good showing after a tough defeat and they did just that with a sweep of Florida State on the road.

Pitt bounces back after a reverse sweep defeat to No. 18 Miami on the road on Oct. 10, which ended an 18-match winning streak in ACC play dating back to last season and also a 12-match winning streak this season.

The Panthers took an early lead against the Seminoles, going up 5-2 without a kill and then improving to 10-6, 15-8 and 18-10 before the home team took their first timeout.

Pitt would end up taking the first set, 25-14, scoring five of the final six points and hitting .323, while holding Florida State to a .029 hitting percentage.

Junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless led the Panthers with four kills, while fellow junior in right side hitter Olivia Babcock added three herself. Sophomore middle blocker Ryla Jones had two kills and two blocks for the Panthers.

Both teams battled back and forth to start the second set, with Pitt leading 9-8, before the road team went on a 6-3 run to extend their advantage to 15-11 at the media timeout.

The Seminoles fought back, with a 4-1 run that cut the deficit to one point at 16-15, before Panthers redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley made a kill and redshirt sophomore setter Haiti Tautua'a got a service ace, forcing the Seminoles to take a timeout down 18-15.

FSU kept it within two points at 19-17, but Pitt would use a 4-1 run and lead 23-18, forcing the last home team timeout, with Babcock making three kills. Kelley then finished off the second set with a kill, winning 25-19 and putting Pitt up two sets to none.

Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Pitt freshman outside hitter Dagmar Mourits suffered an injury in the second set, landing awkwardly on the foot of a Florida State player, forcing her out the rest of the game. Outside hitters in redshirt sophomore Sophia Gregoire and freshman Marina Pezelj filled in for Mourits.

Both teams again fought throughout the majority of the third set, with both teams taking a timeout and tied at 18-18.

Pitt went on a 5-0 run, with back-to-back kills from Bayless and Babcock that forced Florida State to take their last timeout and then an ace from Tautua'a and another kill from Babcock, putting them up 23-18.

The Panthers would finish off the set, 25-21, with another kill each from Bayless and Jones, taking the sweep and ending their weekend on a win.

Babcock had another sensational game for Pitt, leading with 18 kills and 11 digs, while tying for the team-lead with Kelley with six blocks and hitting .361. This marks her second straight double-double and seventh on the season, while also marking her season-high in blocks.

Bayless also had a solid game, finishing with nine kills and hitting .348, while Kelley had eight kills and hit .500, along with her six blocks.

Redshirt seniors in setter Brooke Mosher led with 35 assists and guided Pitt to a .337 hitting percentage, while libero/defensive specialist Emery Dupes, who transferred in from Florida State, led with 12 digs.

Pitt improves to 15-6 vs. Florida State all-time, 13-4 in the ACC and 7-3 in Tallahassee, getting revenge on them after losing in five sets in their last road battle on Nov. 3, 2023.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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