Olivia Babcock Carries Pitt in Top 25 Win

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Olivia Babcock, once again, led the No. 4-ranked Pitt Panthers to victory.

Babcock went off for 45 kills, six blocks and 48 total points on a .357 hitting percentage to help give the Panthers a 3-2 win over the No. 21-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.

Babcock set a new career-high and broke the program record for most kills in a match, a record that she set in Pitt's 3-2 win over No. 4 Louisville on Oct. 19.

It was also a big match for Booke Mosher and Mallorie Meyer. Mosher nearly set a new career high with a whopping 57 assists and 14 digs from the setter position. Meyer set a new career high with 21 digs and 10 assists.

Pitt (19-3, 11-1 ACC) is now tied with Stanford for first place in the ACC. North Carolina (17-4, 10-2) is now tied for third in the conference with Louisville. The Panthers will face Stanford in Palo Alto on Nov. 14.

The Panthers extended their winning streak to seven matches. Pitt's only conference loss was a five-set defeat to No. 18 Miami on Oct. 10.

Babcock Starts Hot

Blaire Bayless and Babcock recorded kills, then three North Carolina errors and a block by Marina Pezelj and Bre Kelley gave Pitt a 6-1 lead to start the first set. The Panthers held onto the five-score lead into the media timeout at 15-10.

A North Carolina error and Babcock's sixth kill of the set caused the Tar Heels to use a timeout. Another Babcock kill and a block by Ryla Jones and Babcock made it a 6-0 run for Pitt and extended its lead to. 19-10.

North Carolina broke out a 4-0 run of its own, but it didn't threaten Pitt's large lead. Babcock tallied her eighth kill and Pezelj and Jones got a block to force the Tar Heels to use their final timeout of the set at 21-14.

The Tar Heels posted a few more scores before Pitt closed the opening set 25-18 with a Babcock kill.

Babcock finished the set with nine kills and a .429 percentage. Jones and Pezelj each had three block assists.

North Carolina Dominates the Service Line

North Carolina gained an early 3-1 lead to start this set. Pitt quickly took over control of the set with a 5-0 run that consisted of two Babcock kills, a Babcock and Jones block, a Meyer ace and a North Carolina error.

The Panthers held onto the small lead until the media timeout. It was very back and forth, with the last 16 scores alternating between the two sides. The alternating scores continued after the timeout, with the next six scores split evenly until a kill and an ace by the Tar Heels tied the set at 18-18.

North Carolina then took the lead with a second ace to make it 20-19. Pitt used a timeout, and the Tar Heels immediately scored on a third ace of the set, and the Panthers elected to use their final timeout of the set.

Jackie Taylor scored on a third-straight ace after the timeout to make it four aces in the last six scores of the set. Mosher snapped the 4-0 run to make it 22-20, but North Carolina answered with a kill.

North Carolina held onto the lead and took the second set 25-22 after trailing for most of it.

Pitt Makes Late Comeback

Babcock started the set with a kill, but North Carolina carried its momentum from the second set into the third as it went on a 5-0 run that included two more service aces. Babcock broke up the run, only temporarily though, as the Tar Heels tallied two more scores.

Pitt used an early timeout, down 7-2. The Panthers took three of the next four scores, all from Babcock kills. Babcock then began a 3-0 run with her 22nd kill of the match. The run forced a North Carolina timeout, with Pitt still down 11-9.

North Carolina claimed five of the next six scores, with an eighth ace of the match to make it 16-10. The Panthers start to roar back after burning their final timeout of the third set. Two blocks, a Babcock kill and a North Carolina error cut the lead to 18-15.

Babcock got two more kills, and Mosher and Jones met for a block to make it a 20-18 game. Pitt then tied the Tar Heels at 21-21 after a Kelley and Abbey Emch block, a Mosher kill and a North Carolina error.

Pitt took its first lead of the set with another North Carolina error. Babcock scored on her 28th kill of the set, and Bayless followed to get the Panthers at match point, and Pitt stole the third set after Babcock sealed the game at 25-23.

Pitt's play at the net helped spur the comeback. The Panthers had five blocks in the third set, with four coming during the late comeback.

Tar Heels Stay Alive

Pitt started a 3-0 run thanks to kills from Babcock and Kelley, and a North Carolina error. The Tar Heels then went on a 4-0 run to gain a 9-6 lead as Pitt used a timeout.

North Carolina held onto the lead until two blocks by Babcock and Jones, and kills from Kelley and Babcock gave the Panthers a 13-12 lead. The Tar Heels chose to use one of their timeouts after Pitt took three of the next four scores.

Pitt held a 21-20 lead after Babcock's 36th kill of the afternoon. North Carolina used its final timeout of the set after Jones' solo block. Babcock scored yet another kill.

The Tar Heels stayed alive after tallying a kill and a block to make it 23-22. Pitt used its final timeout of the set, but North Carolina continued to pour it on by scoring four of the next five and took the fourth set, 26-24.

Babcock Breaks Program Record

Babcock and Bayless were the first to get Pitt on the board in the final set. Babcock scored three more kills to give the Panthers a 6-2 lead as North Carolina called a timeout.

Babcock then broke her own program record with her 42nd kill of the match to extend Pitt's lead to 8-3. The Tar Heels scored twice, and Babcock and Bayless answered with kills at North Carolina's final timeout of the match.

North Carolina made it an 11-7 game after taking two of the next three scores. Pitt decided to use a timeout, but the Tar Heels scored three straight after the break to make it a one-score game.

Mosher kept the Panthers in the lead with a kill, and a challenge reversed a North Carolina point to make it 13-10. Babcock's 44th kill put Pitt at match point, but a block forced Pitt to use its final timeout, and the Tar Heels tied the set at 14-14.

Babcock got a 45th kill on a block error and North Carolina tied the set again. An error and a Pezelj kill ended the final set with a 17-15 Pitt victory.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt