Volleyball On SI

Texas Survives, Pitt Sweeps on Final Day of AVCA First Serve

No. 2 Texas survived a five-set battle against Marquette, while No. 4 Pittsburgh swept Xavier to close out the final day of the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee.

Paige Durrenberger

Dec 18, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers outside hitter Blaire Bayless (8) hits the ball during the first set against the Texas A&M Aggies in a 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinal match at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers outside hitter Blaire Bayless (8) hits the ball during the first set against the Texas A&M Aggies in a 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinal match at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On a day when the fall semester of school begins for many students, the American Volleyball Coaches Association First Serve Showcase wrapped up its final day of competition Monday night.

The final day's slate featured two matchups between No. 4 Pittsburgh and Xavier, followed by No. 2 Texas facing hometown Marquette in the event finale.

No. 4 Pittsburgh Handles Xavier In Three Sets

No. 4 Pittsburgh made quick work of Xavier on Monday night, sweeping the Musketeers 26-24, 25-13 and 25-18.

One day after opening its season with a four-set win over No. 3 Kentucky, Pitt showed little sign of slowing down. The Panthers improved to 2-0 on the young season and are leaving Milwaukee with an early-season confidence boost.

However, Xavier didn't make things easy from the start.

The Musketeers pushed the Panthers throughout a back-and-forth opening set, keeping Pitt from creating much separation. Pitt had the opportunity to take the first set with a 24-20 score, but instead of backing down, Xavier went on a four-point hot streak to even the score.

However, the Musketeers weren't able to keep the momentum going, and Pitt escaped in two quick points to win the set 26-24.

Instead of keeping that energy, Xavier fell flat.

Pitt took control in the second set, turning a two-point opening set victory into a much more comfortable advantage. The Panthers rolled to a 25-13 win, registering a .500 hit rate in set two.

The Panthers finished the job in the third. While Xavier remained in striking distance early, Pitt gradually created separation and closed out the match with a 25-18 victory.

Senior outside hitter Blaire Bayless led Pitt's attack with 13 kills, while reigning back-to-back AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock, a senior opposite hitter, added 12 kills on a .450 hitting percentage.

Pitt entered the season with expectations of once again competing deep into December after reaching five consecutive national semifinals. Its opening weekend did little to temper those expectations.

After being tested early, the Panthers bounced back and registered 46 kills, 36 digs and 40 assists during the match.

No. 2 Texas Survives Five-Set Battle With Marquette

No. 2 Texas needed all five sets to secure its first win of the season, surviving the challenge from unranked Marquette.

Looking to bounce back from its season-opening loss to No. 12 Arizona State, the Longhorns were looking for a decisive win — and they did not get it. Texas once again found itself playing from behind as the Longhorns and the Golden Eagles traded the lead five times and were tied nine times in the opening set. Eventually, Marquette was able to break away with a five-point advantage to hold off Texas 25-22.

Once again, serving seemed to be a thorn in Texas' side. Texas gave up nearly a whole set of service errors, 24, including one that handed Marquette the fourth-set victory.

While the Longhorns have put an emphasis on being aggressive from the jump, an inability to get the ball in play will be detrimental when facing higher-ranking teams.

Senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford clocked six service errors, with her teammate, sophomore outside hitter Cari Spears, closely following her with four. In comparison, Marquette only registered seven service errors the entire match.

While the Longhorns responded in the second and third sets, they weren't able to reach enough of a lead to play comfortably until they pulled away late for a 25-19 and 23-16 win.

Marquette refused to go quietly.

The Golden Eagles edged Texas 25-23 in the fourth, fighting off a late rally to force a winner-takes-all set. Marquette junior outside hitter Carson Tyler had 18 kills in her Golden Eagle debut, showing her ability to perform in high-pressure situations.

But when it mattered most, Texas took control.

The Longhorns jumped ahead in the fifth set and never relinquished control, closing the match 15-8 to avoid an 0-2 start to the season.

Despite Stafford's service error count, her impact on the court was apparent as she led Texas with 19 kills and 22 points.

For Texas, this opening weekend has been a hard realization for many fans. This may not be a team that can rise to championship expectations.

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Paige Durrenberger
PAIGE DURRENBERGER

Paige Durrenberger is a sports writer and Economics student at the University of Texas at Austin. She has covered golf, softball, and the Texas Stars for The Daily Texan and is also a contributing writer for 5Wins. Raised in Dallas, Texas, when Durrenberger isn’t covering sports, she’s either out running with her dog Bailey or cheering on whichever Dallas team is in season.

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