Wisconsin volleyball falls to Pitt in Elite Eight
The Wisconsin Badgers' quest to repeat as national champions comes to an early end
The Wisconsin volleyball team will not repeat as the national champion. By defeating the Badgers 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 19-25, 15-13), the Pitt Panthers snapped Wisconsin's 21-match win streak. A memorable Badgers season ends in heartbreak.
Wisconsin's first set comeback
Wisconsin won the first set after an incredible comeback. After trailing 18-11, the Badgers went on a 14-5 run. Senior defensive specialist Joslyn Boyer went on a 5-0 run from behind the service line to give Wisconsin its first lead of the set at 22-21. Leading the way for the Badgers was sophomore middle blocker Anna Smrek with six first-set kills.
Pitt's offensive finds its rhythm
Pitt won sets two and three behind its potent offense. Hitting over .300 in both sets, Pitt got the better of Wisconsin's stout defense. The Badgers only recorded one block in the second set.
Badgers with their backs against the wall
Danielle Hart found a groove in the fourth set to keep the Badgers' season alive. The grad student middle had notched five kills headed in the first three sets and then added another five in the penultimate set of the match. With their backs against the wall, head coach Kelly Sheffield's squad dominated Pitt holding it to .158 hitting while hitting .378 themselves. The Panthers failed to block the Badgers even once in the fourth.
Early errors in the fifth set were the demise of Wisconsin
Wisconsin began the fifth set with four errors, while Pitt committed only one attack error the entire set. The Panthers held two five-point leads in the set at 7-2 and 11-6. A 6-0 run by Wisconsin, including four kills by sophomore outside hitter Julia Orzol, gave the Badgers a 12-11 lead. After trading a pair of points, Pitt scored three unanswered to win the set 15-13 and match 3-2.
Leading the way for the Panthers was grad student right-side hitter Courtney Buzzerio with 18 kills. Wisconsin's junior middle blocker Devyn Robinson recorded a match-high 21 kills.
