No. 4 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps NC State

PITTSBURGH — No. 4 Pitt Panthers volleyball finally returned home after two weeks away and gave their fans a show, sweeping NC State in dominant fashion at Fitzgerald Field House.

Pitt makes it four straight wins, which includes a sweep of Florida State on Oct. 12, a reverse sweep of Notre Dame on Oct. 17 and a comeback win over rival and then ranked No. 4 Louisville in five sets on Oct. 19, all on the road.

The Panthers improve to 15-3 overall, 8-1 in the ACC and 8-0 at home in 2025, while the Wolfpack fall to 10-9 overall, 3-6 in the ACC and 1-5 on the road this season.

Pitt Volleyball Has a Strong First Set

Pitt took a 8-2 lead off of seven unanswered points, forcing a timeout from NC State. Pitt gottwo kills from freshman outside hitter Marina Pezelj, plus one kill each from junior right side Olivia Babcock and sophomore middle blocker Dalia Vîrlan, with sophomore libero/defensive specialist adding a service ace.

NC State ended that run with a block, but Pitt then went on a 5-0 run, with the road team taking their final timeout. Vîrlan added two blocks, including one solo, and a kill on the run, Babcock got an ace and junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless added a kill to make it 13-3.

The Panthers outscored the Wolfpack the rest of the way and eventually won the first set, 25-11, outhitting their ACC foe, .400 to .074.

Vîrlan and Babcock led the way with four kills, Pezelj added three kills and Vîrlan also led with two kills in the first set.

The Panthers Fend Off the Wolfpack in the Second Set

The second set saw both teams battle it out early on, with NC State taking leads of 4-2, 8-6, 9-8, 11-10 and 12-11, while Pitt fought back, going up 6-5, 10-9, 13-12 and then 15-13 at the media timeout.

Pezelj played an important role out of the timeout, with two kills and a block, while senior setter Brooke Mosher got a kill herself, making it 19-14 to Pitt and forcing an NC State timeout.

The Wolfpack battled back with a 5-2 run, cutting it to 21-19 and forcing a timeout from Panthers head coach Dan Fisher, but then Bayless and Mosher had back-to-back kills, making it 23-19 and forcing the Wolfpack to take their final timeout, before winning the set, 25-19.

Pezelj had a great second set, with five kills, three blocks and a service ace for the Panthers.

Pitt Volleyball Outside Hitter Marina Pezelj Readies Herself for a Serve | Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Pitt Closes it Out with a Third Set Victory

Pitt started the third set much like they did the first set, going on a 7-1 run to take a 8-3 lead, forcing NC State to take their first timeout. They then went on a 5-1 run out of that timeout and forced NC State to take their final timeout of the third set, leading 13-4.

Freshman libero/defensive specialist Izzy Masten had two aces, freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch and Babcock added two kills each and combined for a block for the Panthers.

The Wolfpack then battled back with a 10-4 run and cut the deficit to 17-14, forcing Panthers head coach Dan Fisher to take a timeout.

Pitt then finished off the game with an 8-2 run and won the third set, 25-16, securing the sweep.

Players of the Game for Pitt Volleyball

Pezelj had a great game for the Panthers, leading with 12 kills, tying her season-high, and five blocks, her new season high, while also hitting .381 and adding eight digs.

Vîrlan had a good outing in the two sets she played with five kills, hitting .571 and adding four blocks.

Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Mallorie Meyer had six assists and a team-high 11 digs and Mosher led with 18 assists and added eight digs herself.

Pitt Continues Dominance of NC State in All-Time Series

Pitt improves to 17-2 all-time over NC State and nine straight wins in the series, dating back to 2018, plus back-to-back wins at home with their first meeting at Fitzgerald Field House since Sept. 25, 2022.

The last time the Panthers lost to the Wolfpack was in four sets at home on Oct. 22, 2017 and their first defeat came in their first ACC meeting in Raleigh, N.C., a five-set defeat on Oct. 25, 2013. The Panthers are 14-2 overall vs. the Wolfpack since joining the conference.

Pitt Volleyball Press Conference After Win vs. NC State

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