Pittsburgh’s volleyball team showed resilience in a closely contested match against top-ranked Nebraska on Friday night. The Panthers started the season by ordering to play in the challenging Pinnacle Bank Arena, home of the Huskers. With a sold-out crowd, Pitt coach Dan Fisher emphasized his desire for the team to be successful under pressure.
The first set ended with a 3-point win for Pitt, but the outcome took a dramatic turn in set two as Nebraska dominated, winning 25-11. However, Pittsburgh adapted and bounced back in set three with a 25-20 victory. The Panthers also pushed Nebraska hard in the fourth set before losing 25-23.
Reigning AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock was impressed with her team’s response from set two to set three. “I felt really confident about our ability, and I think how we responded from second to third was really good,” she said. Despite a challenging match against Nebraska, which limited her kills due to high error rates.
Babcock attributed the pressure to playing against Harper Murray, one of her best friends on the opposing team. The Huskers took advantage of their connection, recording a team-high 15 kills from Harper Murray.
With the loss, Pittsburgh secured the moral victory they sought by facing a top-ranked opponent. Next up for Nebraska is a matchup against No. 6 Stanford in two weeks’ time.
Source: https://www.si.com/college/nebraska/volleyball/even-in-defeat-no-3-pittsburgh-got-what-it-wanted-out-of-nebraska-cornhuskers-panthers-volleyball-avca