Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Michigan, Makes Sweet 16

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers battled hard with a strong Michigan team, but still got it done with a sweep in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt improves to 28-4 on the season and has won their last seven matches, while also improving to 16-0 at home in 2025, as they move on to the Sweet 16.

Michigan finishes their season 22-11, but still made it to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Pitt Makes Late Rally to Win First Set

Michigan started off the better of the two teams, as they took a 6-3 lead to start the first set, but Pitt rallied back and tied it up 7-7, with two kills from freshman outside hitter Marina Pezelj.

Both teams went back and forth, until the Wolverines went on a 5-1 run after a 12-12 tie, making it a 17-13 lead and burning the Panthers' final timeout. Graduate student Allison Jacobs made two kills and an ace on the run.

Pitt responded with a 6-2 run out of the timeout and three straight points to tie it up at 19-19, with junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock making two kills.

The Wolverines would score two of the next three points to lead 21-20, but the Panthers used a 3-0 run to take a 23-21 lead, with an attack error from Jacobs, a block from Babcock and freshman middle blocker Abbey Emch and sophomore libero/defensive specialist Mallorie Meyer made an ace.

Babcock would win the first set, responding to two Michigan kills with two kills of her own, outlasting the road team 25-23. She had seven kills in the period to lead Pitt.

Panthers Fend Off Wolverines, Win Second Set

Pitt had a fantastic start to the second set, going up 10-4 on a 7-1 run and forcing a Michigan timeout. Babcock led the way with four kills and while Pezelj added two kills and a block for Pitt.

The Wolverines came back and scored five of the next six points, cutting the deficit to 11-9 and staying in the set.

Pitt would hold leads later on, including at 18-15, but Michigan stayed in it and trimmed the deficit to just one point at 18-17, forcing a Pitt timeout.

The Wolverines trailed at just one point at 20-19, but three straight points, including a block from Babcock and redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley, made it 23-19, with the Wovlerines taking their final timeout.

Michigan pushed to try and take the set, scoring four of the next five points to make it 24-23, but Babcock again came through for Pitt with a crucial kill, winning the second set 25-23.

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a Point in the Second Set of their Sweep of Michigan in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center on Dec. 6, 2025 | Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Pitt Fends Off Michigan, Earns Sweep

The Panthers took a quick 4-1 lead, but the Wolverines responded with a 4-1 run themselves to take a 5-4 lead.

Both teams kept it close, with Pitt scoring four of the final six points to earn a 15-13 lead at the media timeout.

Michigan had it within one point at 16-15, but Pitt used two 3-0 runs and finished off the set on a 9-2 run to win the third set, 25-18 and take the match in a sweep.

Babcock had her best performance in the third set, with 10 kills and Pitt hit 368 in the period.

Pitt Players of the Game

This win again showed why Babcock is the best player in the country, with an incredible performance against the Wolverines.

She finished with 24 kills, hit .370, made eight digs and three blocks, along with a service ace.

Those 24 kills rank third most for a Pitt player in an NCAA Tournament match, with only her 31 kills vs. Oregon in the Sweet 16 and 33 kills vs. Louisville in the Final Four in 2024.

Pezelj also came up big for the Panthers in just her second NCAA Tournament match, with 12 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while finishing third with seven digs.

Redshirt senior setter Brooke Mosher made 36 assists and led Pitt to a .333 hitting percentage, tied for the eighth-best hitting percentage in an NCAA Tournament match in program history.

Kelley made seven kills, hit .500 and led Pitt with three blocks along with Emch.

Redshirt senior libero/defensive specialist Emery Dupes made eight digs herself, tying Babcock for the team lead.

Pitt Volleyball Keeps it Sweet For Another Year

This victory for the Panthers puts them in the Sweet 16, which marks the sixth consecutive season they've done so.

Pitt battles No. 4 Minnesota in that Sweet 16 at the Petersen Events Center, which marks the first time the two teams faced off since the 2020-21 Sweet 16, that Pitt won in five sets.

The Panthers have also made six straight Elite Eights and will look to do that if they beat the Golden Gophers.

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