How to Watch No. 3 Purdue Volleyball vs. No. 1 Pitt in NCAA Regional Final
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A trip to the Final Four hangs in the balance on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. No. 3 seed Purdue will play No. 1 Pitt in the Regional Final of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, hoping that its magical season continues for another week.
The Panthers, on the other hand, are hoping to take down the Boilermakers and return to college volleyball's ultimate event and chase down a national championship. Both teams are loaded with talent and it should be a fun evening of volleyball.
Here's what you need to know about Saturday night's match between Purdue and Pitt.
How to Watch #3 Purdue vs. #1 Pitt
- What: NCAA Tournament Regional Final (Elite Eight)
- Who: #3 Purdue (27-6) vs. #1 Pitt (29-4)
- When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025
- Where: Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. (12,508 capacity)
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2
Purdue's path to the Regional Semifinal
- Overall record: 27-6 (15-5 Big Ten)
- NCAA Tournament seed: No. 3
- 1st round: Defeated Wright State 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
- 2nd round: Defeated No. 6 Baylor 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
- Regional semifinal: Defeated No. 2 SMU 3-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 29-27)
Pitt's path to the Regional Semifinal
- Overall record: 29-4 (18-2 ACC)
- NCAA Tournament seed: No. 1
- 1st round: Defeated UMBC 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
- 2nd round: Defeated Michigan 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
- Regional semifinal: Defeated No. 4 Minnesota 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-22)
What Dave Shondell said (Purdue)
On the chance to play Pitt ...
"We're looking forward to the opportunity to advance to the Final Four, which our program has never done before. That's exciting. It's a great opportunity for us.
"We know how good Pittsburgh is, we know how good they've been the past five or six seasons, and it will be a major challenge. Their staff is extremely good, they'll be well-prepared and we have to make sure we do as much work as they are to get to the point where our team is well-prepared. We take a lot of pride in that, as well."
On the challenges Pitt presents aside from Olivia Babcock ...
"I think [Brooke] Mosher, the transfer from Illinois, brings them a unique player who serves the ball with a topspin serve. That's something you have to spend a little extra time preparing for when somebody can bring it like that. She's a setter who can throw the ball all over the floor, she's not somebody who you can anticipate who she's going to set the ball to, except it's usually [Olivia] Babcok.
"Obviously, [Bre] Kelley is a tremendous athlete that you have to pay a lot of attention to when they're in system. I think when Pitt has struggled, it's been because they haven't passed the ball well, so then they're not in system all the time. Every team becomes more predictable when the setter is 15 feet off the floor.
"We're trying to get that figured out as quick as possible ... I think the favorable thing for us is there are no two teams in the country that rely on a right-side player like [SMU and Pitt]. From that standpoint, you're not having to change everything that you're doing."
What Dan Fisher said (Pitt)
On what stands out about Purdue ...
"I think they serve well, they have three pin hitters who can hit hard and hit with range. They extend rallies, they make defensive plays. I think it's going to be an exciting game. I think there are going to be some long rallies.
"They also seem to be fairly low error, they don't hit a lot of balls out of bounds. I think we're going to have to earn it."
On if opponents overlook other players because of Olivia Babcock ...
"I think teams know going into it assume she'll get the highest percentage, but that also gives an opportunity for us to go a little heavier to another player and for them to get caught off guard. I don't think anyone in the Elite Eight is going too surprised by what they see."
On Purdue's block ...
"In the same way that we talked about, they're all physical hitters. There's not a little blocker out there. So, I don't think there's an obvious [zone to attack]. I think their block is good."
Purdue's statistical leaders
Kills (per set)
- Kenna Wollard — 4.42
- Grace Heaney — 3.08
- Akasha Anderson — 2.84
Blocks (per set)
- Dior Charles — 1.11
- Bianka Lulic — 0.95
- Lindsey Miller — 0.93
Digs (per set)
- Ryan McAleer — 3.64
- Taylor Anderson — 2.11
- Kenna Wollard/Grace Heaney — 1.97
Assists (per set)
- Taylor Anderson — 10.78
- Ryan McAleer — 1.29
Pitt's statistical leaders
Kills (per set)
- Olivia Babcock — 5.09
- Blaire Bayless — 2.66
- Dagmar Mourits — 2.20
Blocks (per set)
- Bre Kelley — 1.46
- Dalia Virlan —1.36
- Ryla Jones — 1.20
Digs (per set)
- Olivia Babcock — 2.15
- Brooke Mosher — 1.99
- Emery Dupes — 1.73
Assists (per set)
- Brooke Mosher — 9.91
- Haiti Tautua'a — 1.00
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PURDUE BEATS SMU IN 4 SETS: Purdue added another chapter to this storybook season with a 3-1 victory over SMU in the Regional Semifinal of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Thursday night. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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