Pitt freshmen Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford were having flashbacks to their club volleyball days in the Panthers’ second-round NCAA tournament game Saturday.
Both women played in southern California, so the matchup with USC means they were playing against many people they played growing up. Babcock played the Women of Troy’s London Wijay all throughout high school, as the pair played for rival high schools — Sierra Catholic and Bishop Alemany, respectively.
“I know so many girls on the team,” Stafford said. “We're really familiar with them. Going in, it kind of helped. We were preparing for Skylar [Fields] a lot, but I think the other girls, we had a good perception of them as players.”
It was fitting that Pitt’s California girls were unforgettable in the 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18) win over USC. Babcock and Stafford led the team in kills with 16 and 13, respectively.
Tustin, Calif., native Rachel Fairbanks also showed up against USC with 41 assists. It’s her most ever in an NCAA tournament game, surpassing her 38 assists against Florida in the 2022 Sweet 16.
“I think she's one of the best centers in the country,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “Not only in setting, but she's a great defender and a great server. She can put pressure on the team in multiple ways. We're so glad she's on our team.”
The entirety of the first set was tight, with neither team leading by more than three points. It was a defensive battle, as USC and Pitt both had under a .090 hitting percentage as a team. Lindsey Miller and Kalyah Williams blocked Stafford’s attack, giving the set a fitting end as USC won the first 25-23.
“We just were not patient in those rallies and made too many errors,” Fisher said.
Pitt opened the second set on a 4-0 run with kills from Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Babcock. The Women of Troy responded with a run of their own to make it a tie game. By the middle of the set, USC had taken its own four-point lead at 14-10. But the Panthers would overcome that deficit and then some, taking the set 25-20 to make it tied 1-1.
The Panthers had the lead for the entirety of the third set, but USC did its best to make it tight, getting as close as 23-18. Pitt still took the set 25-18, courtesy of its best hitting percentage yet at .519. The Panthers defense also had a great set, holding the Women of Troy to a .147 hitting percentage while also adding eight digs and three blocks.
“When they get on a run, they're gonna keep that run going unless they're stopped,” USC libero Gala Trubint said. “I don't think that we pushed back enough in the third set. With a team like that, you can't just kind of sit back and hope that they stop figuring it out. I think we let off the gas a little on that third set and it cost us.
The fourth set was a lot cleaner for both teams, with a total of only 10 errors. The Women of Troy tied the game at 14-14, but Pitt was more dominant throughout with a .536 hitting percentage. It was ultimately Vazquez Gomez who would score the game winner to advance the Panthers to the Sweet 16.
Fields came into the game with a hitting percentage above .300, but the Panthers defense held her to .200. She still had 21 kills (5.25 per set), which is above her 5.14 per set average, but her 10 errors weighed her down.
“We were able to make her uncomfortable,” Fisher said. “They made the switch in the fourth set so that she was matched up against Rachel [Fairbanks], and we still found a way even there to slow her down at times. She's not the kind of player you can really stop.”
The Panthers are one of the best blocking teams in the country with an average of 2.94 per set. But USC was winning the battle of the middles to start, as Pitt had zero in the first set. However, by the end of the second set, the Panthers were outblocking the Women of Troy 7-6. They finished the game with 12 blocks.
Emma Monks led the team once again with eight total blocks, which is tied for second best in program history while playing in the NCAA tournament.
“I think she stuck with it,” Fisher said. “She was not playing her best in the first two sets, and then we just kept going to her. Her offense got better, and she certainly came up with some big block assists.”
Not only did Babcock lead the team in kills, but she posted a double-double with 12 digs, which ties her career high set against Louisville on Nov. 18. She also had a career-high three assists and was one off with six digs.
“Midway through, I got really pissed off,” Babcock said. “I started to think about how important this is. Obviously, we went into this game of it being important. I feel like, the more I thought about it, as the game progressed, I was like, ‘Wow, every game from this point on is season-ending.’ So that's when I was like, ‘I have to honestly just go out and do my thing because I know that when I'm on my game, it tends to reflect on everyone else.’ ”
The Panthers will play the winner of No. 4-seeded Washington State and No. 5-seeded Dayton in the Sweet 16. The game will be Thursday at the Fitzgerald Field House.
“When we're playing our best, we’re pretty scary,” Fisher said. “So we'll have a good game plan. A lot of our focus is just on us on our side.”
Abby Schnable: aschnable@post-gazette.com and Twitter @AbbySchnable
First Published: December 3, 2023, 3:48 a.m.
Updated: December 3, 2023, 3:40 p.m.
