University of Louisville
PITTSBURGH
Volleyball Edged by Pitt
November 26, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
The University of Louisville volleyball team fell to the Pittsburgh Panthers 3-2 in the ACC regular season finale. The Panthers won the five-set thriller 26-28, 25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 15-12 Wednesday afternoon at Cardinal Arena.
"It all comes down to passing. Pitt is one of the best serving teams in the nation and they picked us apart. When we can't pass, we can't call a play and it keeps us off kilter. Katie George was phenomenal. I cannot tell you how many times she took a broken play and turned it into a point for us. Her poise and concentration in tight matches is something every player at every level should emulate."
Maya McClendon finished with 16 kills and 10 digs with Janelle Jenkins also tallying a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. Katie George contributed 39 assists and Gabbie Wiley finished with a team high 19 digs and a career-high five service aces. The Cardinals hit .177 for the match and Pittsburgh hit .192, led by Maria Genitsaridi with 20 kills and Mechael Guess with 18 kills.
In the first set, Louisville led 8-7 early before a 10-1 run by Pittsburgh gave the Panthers a 17-9 advantage and forced a Louisville timeout. The Cardinals responded with a 12-4 run of their own to tie the score at 21-21 on a service ace by Gabbie Wiley. Each team earned set point and the Cards took their third set point at 27-26 on a block by Maya McClendon. A Panthers attack error earned the victory 28-26 for the Cardinals.
The second set saw Pittsburgh take an 11-10 lead and then the Panthers went on a 7-1 run to extend their lead to 18-11, their largest of the set. The Cardinals hung around but the Panthers would earn set point 24-18. Pitt would eventually close it out 25-20 on a kill by Mechael Guess.
In the third set, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 10-4 advantage behind four early service aces. The Panthers controlled the rest of the set and gained their largest lead 20-11. Louisville closed the gap to 21-15 but it was not enough as the Panthers won 25-16 on a kill.
Louisville started strong in the fourth and the Cards gained a 15-9 lead behind a pair of kills from Katie George, forcing a Pittsburgh timeout. UofL would extend the lead to 19-10 but the Panthers responded with a 9-4 run to pull within 23-19. A kill by Maya McClendon gave the Cards set point 24-19. Pitt did not go away and closed to 24-23 before another kill by McClendon earned the Cardinals the 25-23 win.
In the final set, the Cardinals gained an early 4-2 advantage before Pitt rallied behind a 7-1 run to take a 9-5 lead. The teams traded points and the Panthers earned set point at 14-10. The Cards battled to within 14-12 but a Panthers kill closed the match 15-12.
