PITTSBURGH – Wrapping up its first weekend of league action, the Virginia Tech volleyball team fell to the hands of defending ACC champion and fourth-ranked Pitt 3-0 on Sunday afternoon inside Fitzgerald Field House.
Junior Kylie Thomas, starting at libero for the first time this fall, scooped up a team-high 12 digs, while junior Kaity Smith led the team in kills for the first time in 2019 with eight.
The Hokies (7-8, 0-2 ACC) almost got the Panthers (13-1, 2-0) in the second set, with five ties and two lead changes, but Pitt rallied to earn its ninth sweep of the season.
THE MATCH
Pitt started off fast in the opening set, getting a 13-5 lead to force Tech to take a timeout. Out of the break, the Panthers kept their momentum, extending their lead to 10 at 19-9. But the Hokies chipped away at the lead down the stretch, with Smith scoring three of Tech's final four points. However, it was not enough as Pitt won 25-14.
This time around, the Hokies were the ones who got off to a hot start, taking a four-point lead at 9-5 in the second frame. Tech would extend its lead all the way up to five at 20-15, its biggest lead of the match, after some clutch kills from right-side hitter Marisa Cerchio and Smith. But the Panthers got on a run of their own, finishing on a 10-2 spurt to win it 25-22.
Leading by a couple points at 9-7 in the third stanza, Pitt scored six of the next nine points to own a 15-10 advantage at the media timeout. The Hokies began to lower the deficit, getting kills by a trio of players – outside hitter Cera Powell, Cerchio and Smith – to make it a four-point set at 20-16. However, the Panthers strung together some points and would end up claiming it 25-18.
QUOTING JUNIOR KYLIE THOMAS
On playing with a lineup due to injury that you hadn't practiced previously and how the team adjusted to that:
"After the first set, we got into a good rhythm," Thomas said. "We had people in different positions that weren't expecting it. And I think they did an overall good job. We fought really hard, which is the most important thing."
On what the team did so well in the second set:
"I think that every position group stepped up," Thomas said. "Everyone had an on-game and we just had to let that first set go and play how we knew that we could. I think we just really came together, playing all out and everyone stepped up like they needed to."
On what the team is going to have to do to get two wins next weekend in North Carolina:
"We have to have a solid week of practice, putting in the work every day. I think if we fight like we fought tonight, we should do a pretty good job next weekend. We need to work on serving aggressively and always coming together for each other."
NOTES
- Thomas' 12 digs marked her eighth time this season with double-digit digs and the 11th time of her career. The Sterling, Virginia native now has four matches in a row of the 10-dig plus variety, a first in her career.
- Smith, who has led Tech in kills in 31 of her 70 matches played, got back to her ways with a team-high eight kills, while owning a hitting percentage of .263, a season high.
- Second on the team for kills was Cerchio, who turned in seven and a block assist as well. The junior has gotten at least one block in six of her last eight matches, dating back to Sept. 13.
- Pitt was Tech's first ranked opponent of the season and the Hokies fall to 5-47 all-time versus ranked opponents, including 0-5 in the Jill Wilson era. Tech will likely have a chance to right the ship later this season against No. 23 Florida State (8-3, 2-0) on Nov. 1 in Blacksburg.
UP NEXT
Tech will stay on the road this upcoming weekend, heading to the Triangle to take on NC State (5-9, 0-2) Friday and North Carolina (3-9, 0-2) Sunday. Both matches will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.Gallery: (9/29/2019) 2019 VOLLEYBALL AT PITTSBURGH