No. 4 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Rival No. 7 Louisville

PITTSBURGH — No. 4 Pitt Panthers volleyball had to fight back in each of their three sets, but came through every time, earning a rare sweep over their biggest rival in No. 7 Louisville in front of 8,000 fans at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt improves to 25-4 on the season, 17-2 in the ACC and finishes the regular season 14-0 at home, making it back-to-back undefeated regular seasons at home.

Louisville falls to 24-5 this campaign, 16-3 in the ACC and suffers their first loss on the road this year, winning their first 12 matches away from home.

Pitt Falls Behind Twice, but Rallies to Win First Set

The first set started off back-and-forth between the two teams, until Louisville twice took leads of 10-8 and 13-11.

Pitt responded with a 3-0 run, taking a 14-13 lead, but then Louisville came right back with back-to-back kills from sophomore setter Nayellis Cabello and junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, earning a 15-14 lead at the media timeout.

The Cardinals then got two more points as redshirt senior middle blocker Cara Cresse made a block and a kill, giving the road team a three-point lead and forcing Panthers head coach Dan Fisher to take his first timeout.

Pitt came back with a 3-0 run themselves, but then Louisville scored the next four points, with two kills from Chicoine, a kill from Cabello and an ace from Cresse, making Fisher take his final timeout down 21-17.

Louisville went ahead 23-19 and looked like they'd take the first set, but Chicoine served a ball into the net, giving Pitt a chance to make a run.

Panthers redshirt sophomore setter Haiti Tautua'a came in as a serving sub and immediately got an ace.

Cardinals sophomore outside hitter Payton Petersen committed an attacking error, then Panthers junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless and redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley made a block, tying it up at 23-23, forcing a Cardinals timeout.

Tautua'a came through for Pitt again with another ace to make it set point, then junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock made a kill out the back row, winning the first set 25-23.

No. 4 Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Service Ace from setter Haiti Tautua'a in the Sweep of No. 7 Louisville at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 26, 2025 | Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Pitt Leads, Falls Behind, Makes Late Comeback to Win Second Set

The Panthers started out by far the best of the two teams in the second set, going up 8-5 on a 5-2 run.

Louisville came back and cut the deficit to one point many times, including 13-12, but Pitt scored the next three points, making it a 16-12 lead.

The Cardinals then took momentum and went on an 8-2 run, forcing the Panthers to take both of their timeouts, as they now trailed 20-18.

Pitt and Louisville traded the next four points, keeping the road team ahead 22-20 and close to tying the match up at one set a piece.

Babcock and freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch made a key block for the Panthers to cut the deficit to one point.

Pitt tied it up at 22-22, with Babcock coming through with an ace, then a setter dump from redshirt senior setter Brooke Mosher gave Pitt a 23-22 lead, with Louisville taking both of their timeouts.

Babcock then took over with a kill out of the last timeout and then getting another ace, determined after a challenge, winning Pitt the second set 25-22.

Pitt volleyball Olivia Babcock — Pitt Volleyball RS Olivia Babcock Makes the USA Team for the NORCECA Final Six Pan American Cup

She finished that second set with six kills, two aces and a block, putting the Panthers in position for a sweep.

Pitt Battles Back Again in Third Set, Secures Sweep

Pitt led early on at 5-3, but Louisville came back and took leads of 10-8, 11-9 and 13-11. Babcock tied it up on back-to-back kills at 14-14, but Chicoine made a kill to give Louisville a 15-14 lead at the media timeout.

Both teams scored each of the next five points, but the Cardinals gained a 19-17 advantage off a Panthers attack error and Petersen earned a kill.

Mosher then made a kill, Babcock and Kelley combined for a block and junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless made a kill, giving the Panthers a 20-19 lead and forcing the Cardinals to take a timeout.

Louisville retook the lead off a service error from Mosher and a block from Cabello and Cresse at 21-20. Babcock made a kill to tie it, then Cresse got another kill, putting Louisville back up at 22-21.

The Panthers responded with two blocks with Babcock and kelly combining on the first one and then sophomore middle blocker Ryla Jones and freshman outside hitter Marina Pezelj combining on the second one, which put them up 23-22, burning the Cardinals' last timeout.

Cresse then committed a net violation out of the timeout, giving Pitt set point, and then Babcock made her 11th and final kill, winning the third set 25-22 on a 4-0 run and securing the sweep.

Players of the Game for Pitt

Babcock dominated yet again for the Panthers, posting 22 kills and hitting .404, while also making eight digs, five blocks and two aces. She led her team in kills and tied with Kelley for five blocks.

Mosher had a sensational outing for Pitt, with 30 assists, three digs and a season-high five kills, three coming on setter dumps in that third set.

Pitt Continues Dominance Over Louisville

Pitt has taken the momentum in this rivarly over Louisville, making it back-to-back seasons they've won both regular season matchups, as they came back and won in five sets on the road on Oct. 19.

The Panthers have won the last five regular season matchups vs. the Cardinals, six of the last seven matchups overall and four straight matches in Pittsburgh.

This also marked the first sweep for Pitt over Louisville since Oct. 23, 2020 and just the fourth all-time.

Pitt Volleyball Press Conference After Sweeping Louisville

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