Pitt's Olivia Babcock Wins Back-To-Back National Player Of the Year

KANSAS CITY -- For the second straight season, Pitt Volleyball's Olivia Babcock has taken home the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of The Year honors, widely considered to be the top honor in collegiate volleyball.

Babcock's honor makes her the fifth volleyball player in the history of collegiate volleyball to take home the award two times in their career.She joined volleyball legends Misty May Treanor, Logan Tom and Kathryn Plummer as players who did so in back to back seasons. All those who have won the award twice have done it in consecutive seasons, save for Tonya Sanders-Williams, who did so in 1987 and 1989.

Babcock's honor makes her the first Pitt athlete to win two National Player of the Year awards, and the first from Pitt to win back to back honors at the National Player of the Year level. She now accounts for 2 of the 3 honors at the level for Pitt athletes, with the 1976 Heisman Trophy by Tony Dorsett being the other award.

Babcock has cemented herself as one of the top pin hitters to ever play collegiate volleyball, and some would put her within the top to ever hit the court at NCAA level regardless of position.

Babcock's Other Honors

Babcock also received All-American first team honors, doing so for her third straight season. She was joined by other Pitt volleyball players with All-American honors in 2025, with Brooke Mosher taking home second-team All-American honors as well as Bre Kelley taking home honorable mention honors.

She additionally received AVCA East Coast Region Player Of The Year honors in both in the 2025 and 2024 season as well as the ACC Player of the Year award in both seasons.

Babcock's award comes the day after Pitt was swept in the National Semifinal, marking their fifth straight appearance in the round and subsequently their fifth straight loss in the semifinal.

Dec 18, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers right-side hitter Olivia Babcock (5) celebrates in a 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinal match at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

The season did not go the way that Babcock nor the Pitt team had hoped, but Babcock was able to establish herself as one of the top volleyball players to play the sport at the collegiate level. She has already hinted that she intends to return to Pittsburgh for her final season of eligibility in 2026, and Pitt is set to return plenty of good players as well as one of the top recruiting classes for the Class of 2026.

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