For the third straight season, Pitt’s women’s volleyball advanced to the regional NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers won their second straight victory in two nights against No. 7 BYU in the second round game at the Petersen Event Center on Saturday 25-21, 25-22, 25-18. rice field.
Courtney Bazelio and Rachel Fairbanks each set pit show records. Buselio recorded his 23 kills, the most in his NCAA Tournament game in the modern scoring era, and Fairbanks became the first player in show history to record his NCAA Tournament triple-double (10 kills, 28 assists, 13 digs). was recorded.
It was her second triple-double of the season, making her the first Panthers player since Carey Norris in 2001 to have multiple triple-doubles in a single season.
Panthers win!!!!!
For the third straight season, the Pitt Panthers are in Suite 16!!!#H2P X #NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/0L3yzRwAF6
— Pit volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 4, 2022
The Panthers will face third-seeded Florida (25-5) in the Sweet 16 semifinals in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday.
“I would say we click at the right time,” says Buzzerio. “Things are going really well. The defensive effort has improved a lot since the start[Friday]night. The ball is in the air so you always have a chance to swing.
“We’re putting ourselves in a really good position: getting ready, taking time off, watching movies, staying up for these games.”
A crowd of 2,814 watched Pitt improve to 10-3 over Pete and 6-2 in the tournament, the largest crowd for an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
Coach Dan Fisher was pleased with the team’s effort and preparation, but was disappointed to see BYU eliminated so early in the tournament.
“It’s a shame we had to fight them in the second round. I think they could have moved on[against another team],” he said.
“I’m glad we won and I’m happy that we were able to fight with a tough team. I think it will help us prepare for the future.
“This is one of the most focused initiatives I have seen from our team in a long time. Well done my staff. I liked scouting.
“I felt I put them in a good position. But they really had to perform. You can put them in good places, but they have to dig the ball. Looking at it says a lot (58-42, Pitt).
“I’m really proud of this team and excited to be still alive at this point in the season.”
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. You can reach Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or on his Twitter. .
