No. 10 Pitt Outlasts No. 6 Cardinals

Friday, October 23

Pittsburgh, PA

7:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

4-2,4-2ACC

Pittsburgh

4-3,4-3ACC

Louisville

Pittsburgh

October 23, 2020 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Tori Dilfer posted a match-high 31 assists.

By: Chandler Brandes

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Three different Cardinals tallied seven kills each and Tori Dilfer had a match-high 31 assists, but it was not enough as No. 10 Pitt topped the sixth-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team 26-24, 25-21 and 25-23 on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House.

Louisville (4-2) hit .188 as Claire Chaussee, Anna DeBeer and Aiko Jones all posted seven kills. Anna Stevenson led the team with six blocks while Dilfer also added nine digs. Pitt (4-3) hit .195 behind 10 kills from Valeria Vazquez Gomez and seven total service aces.

The Cardinals went on a 5-1 run early into the opening set to take a 7-4 lead. It was back and forth between the top-10 teams from there, as both UofL and Pitt kept the entire set within a three-point margin. A kill from Jones and a pair of Pitt attack errors put Louisville up 24-22, but the Panthers had four unanswered points to seal set one, 26-24.

Louisville jumped out to a two-point lead to open the second set after a kill by Jones and a service ace from Ayden Bartlett. Pitt quickly responded by going on a 3-0 run, and Stevenson's kill gave the Cardinals a 6-4 lead. Back-to-back kills from DeBeer and Amaya Tillman allowed the Cardinals to chip away at a five-point deficit, but the Panthers held on to clinch set two, 25-21.

It continued to be back and forth between the Cardinals and the Panthers throughout the third set. A pair of Panther kills put Pitt ahead by three, but the Cardinals rallied to even the set at 11. A kill and block from Tillman gave UofL a two-point lead at 19-17, but Chiamaka Nwokolo's kill made it a Panther sweep as Pitt claimed the third set, 25-23.

The Cardinals and Panthers will face off again on Sunday, Oct. 25 inside the Fitzgerald Field House for a 3:30 p.m. match.