Pitt Sweeps Minnesota 3-0 to Advance to Elite Eight

Pittsburgh, Pa. - The top-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers women's volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight with a 3-0 sweep over the fourth-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center. The victory, played before a home crowd, extended Pitt's winning streak to nine matches and kept their undefeated set record intact in the tournament.

Pitt took control early in the first set, building a 10-3 lead behind strong contributions from junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock and redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley. Babcock recorded five kills and two blocks, while Kelley added four kills on five attempts. The Panthers closed out the set on a 12-5 run, winning 25-16 and limiting Minnesota to a .026 hitting percentage.

The second set proved tighter, with Minnesota grabbing early edges at 10-9 and 15-14 through service aces from redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson and kills from freshman right side hitter Carly Gilk. Pitt responded with runs of their own, including a 5-1 spurt to lead 19-16, sparked by three kills from junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless. The Gophers rallied to tie the score at 23-23, forcing two Pitt timeouts,...