VB: @ Georgia Tech - 09/29/24 Match Info
- Thread starter HOF Coach
- Start date
GT.....worst set loss this year was 6 points.....set 1.....lose to Pitt by 14!
I’m not sure how you defend Pitt. You really have to hope we are poor in serve receive - otherwise you almost have no chance .
25-8, That was just dominant. This team has a never say die mindset on each point. They have so much confidence in their block. Very special.
Babcock, Stafford and Vazquez Gomez combined for 60 attack attempts. They had a total of 3 errors, 1 for each.
I got to watch the entire match because it started at 7:30 pm Barcelona time. I expected a tough, long match. But, it seemed like it only lasted a few minutes (actually about an hour and 15 minutes). Pitt was dominant from the opening point. GT had a tiny spurt at the start of Set 2, but then Pitt took over again and GT never was in the match after that.
I thought the point that summed up the match was the double double block. Two Pitt players blocked the attempted kill by GT on the left but GT managed to dig the block and got a solid pass to the setter, who set up their ace hitter on the far right side of the court. And, she got stuffed by a second straight double block. That just doesn’t happen.
I believe this is the 4th ranked team that Pitt has beaten 3-0: Oregon, USC, PSU and GT. And, for me this was the most dominating win. If they aren’t a unanimous #1 this week in the polls, something is very wrong.
Does this team have a weakness? Three powerful outside hitters, with a 4th very good one waiting her turn. Two excellent middle blockers, one of whom is a true freshman who gets better each match. The best setter in the nation. A libero who has improved 150% from 2023 to 2024. More service aces than service errors in every match (I think). Greatly improved serve receive. The best coach in the country.
I thought the point that summed up the match was the double double block. Two Pitt players blocked the attempted kill by GT on the left but GT managed to dig the block and got a solid pass to the setter, who set up their ace hitter on the far right side of the court. And, she got stuffed by a second straight double block. That just doesn’t happen.
I believe this is the 4th ranked team that Pitt has beaten 3-0: Oregon, USC, PSU and GT. And, for me this was the most dominating win. If they aren’t a unanimous #1 this week in the polls, something is very wrong.
Does this team have a weakness? Three powerful outside hitters, with a 4th very good one waiting her turn. Two excellent middle blockers, one of whom is a true freshman who gets better each match. The best setter in the nation. A libero who has improved 150% from 2023 to 2024. More service aces than service errors in every match (I think). Greatly improved serve receive. The best coach in the country.
There is no end to the superlatives that describe this team so far!
They probably won't be, because the one person who keeps voting for Nebraska is from Nebraska.
The level of dominance is scary right now. They aren’t just beating ranked teams, aren’t just sweeping them, the matches aren’t even competitive. What a special team. Hope they can keep it rolling.
-This was a dominant win.
-Georgia Tech was hampered by their 5-1 system and that may have accounted for way VVG was so effective. At the same time, you better take advantage of a hit/block mismatch if you have it.
- This effectiveness of the PINS, especially Stafford is impressive
- Is it me, or does it seem Babcock is more effective out of the back row.
- As pointed out before, GT had so many attack errors and Pitt has so few
-when you watch the points, this team thinks they will win every point if they can get the ball up. They have so much confidence in their block and defense
- Some of those sets by Fairbanks are just so special. This team hums, because of her.
- No weaknesses really. If this team stays as mentally focused as they are, I don't see anyone standing in their way
-Georgia Tech was hampered by their 5-1 system and that may have accounted for way VVG was so effective. At the same time, you better take advantage of a hit/block mismatch if you have it.
- This effectiveness of the PINS, especially Stafford is impressive
- Is it me, or does it seem Babcock is more effective out of the back row.
- As pointed out before, GT had so many attack errors and Pitt has so few
-when you watch the points, this team thinks they will win every point if they can get the ball up. They have so much confidence in their block and defense
- Some of those sets by Fairbanks are just so special. This team hums, because of her.
- No weaknesses really. If this team stays as mentally focused as they are, I don't see anyone standing in their way
As some of you know, I took my granddaughter (Claire) to the Marquette match last Sunday. An incredible day. We met Ryla Jones’ parents before the match. Great folks. Ryla loves Pittt, her teammates, and coaches. After the match we met Bre Kelley’s mom (Kelly Kelley)She was fantastic and loved seeing Claire in her Bre Kelley shirt. Met Rachel, Cat, Ryla, Olivia, Torrey, and Bre who were all great to talk to and wonderful with Claire. Bre was thrilled to see Claire in her shirt and spent extra time talking volleyball and encouraging Claire. My son has been a sports guy all of his life; he got Olivia and Torrey to sign his shirt and was over the moon. On the way back home my son said,”All the people we met today were just super.”
My long winded point: this team is made up of great players and great people. A joy to see them being so successful.
H2P
My long winded point: this team is made up of great players and great people. A joy to see them being so successful.
H2P
Last edited:
Babcock is so good out of the back row in part because Fairbanks is such a great and deceptive setter. GT somehow forgot that Babcock was in the back row and didn't even have a block up at times because they thought the set was going outside. So fun to watch! H2P!
- Otene, Bertolino, and Mendes held to 6 pts/set......50% below their average
- GT scoring was 9 pts/set.....50% below their average
- GT gave back 38 pts because of errors....13 pts/set....over 60% more than their average
- Result....average score/set....Pitt 25 - GT 12. This was one of the most decisive losses Pitt has handed an opponent all year.
- Kudos to each and every Pitt player today.....team hitting % was .493.....only 4 pts/set given back due to errors.....4 blk/set....Fairbanks 32 assists.....only 3 attack errors from our 3 pins the entire match, etc, etc. I could go on and on. I won't.
Last edited:
WOW! That's all that needs to be said.It was basically another volleyball clinic put on by the Panthers,H2P!
Fairbanks is so underrated. For as good as she gets credit for being, she is so far better than that. If Pitt wins the natty this year, she should go down as the greatest female athlete in Pitt history. None of this happens without her. She is to Pitt volleyball what Brandin Knight was to Pitt hoops.
Only disappointment was the field hockey game that preceded our VB game ran over; I only watched about 1/2 of the second set plus the third. Also, I wish ACCN would've used the remaining broadcast time to interview coach and some of the players
H2P!
[these girls are GOOD!!!]
H2P!
[these girls are GOOD!!!]
if we win the Natty, I'd argue she may be the greatest athlete in pitt history, in any sport mens or womens.
At this point, I'm willing to go on record to say that GaTech isn't anywhere near what they were the last few years. Not taking anything away from Pitt but their passing was atrocious all weekend.
I find it interesting that teams are struggling so much with Pitt's attacking. Trying to decide what Pitt is doing that's special and I just think that Fairbanks makes hitting so easy that the attackers can focus on placement. Incredible how many balls didn't come close to anyone getting a hand on them. Pitt is also serving very well. It's really keeping teams off balance. Might not be showing up on the stat sheet as an ace but they're forcing teams into weak attacks and Pitt's offense is so good (and so fast) that teams can't get a side out on them. There's going to be a bad night somewhere in the next two months but the only other school looking this dominate, right now, is Nebraska.
I find it interesting that teams are struggling so much with Pitt's attacking. Trying to decide what Pitt is doing that's special and I just think that Fairbanks makes hitting so easy that the attackers can focus on placement. Incredible how many balls didn't come close to anyone getting a hand on them. Pitt is also serving very well. It's really keeping teams off balance. Might not be showing up on the stat sheet as an ace but they're forcing teams into weak attacks and Pitt's offense is so good (and so fast) that teams can't get a side out on them. There's going to be a bad night somewhere in the next two months but the only other school looking this dominate, right now, is Nebraska.
Her stone for the Pitt walk of fame by the Cathedral should have already been created. She should be a unanimous winner for that award.
WOW!
She was a two-time finalist for the prestigious Honda Award and was named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Silver Anniversary Team. Smith represented her native Jamaica at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Add to that:
7X NCAA National Champion
15X All-American
14X Big East champion
15X ECAC Champion
NCAA D1 Most Outstanding Athlete
2005 World Champion in the triple jump.
She was a multi at Pitt competing in the heptathlon while specializing in the long and triple jumps. She led Pitt women's indoor team to a 3rd place finish at NCAA indoors in 1998. That was Pitt's second best NCAA championship team finish in any sport ever (behind wrestling's 2nd place finish in 1957) up until the volleyball and men's soccer teams essentially tied for third with their collective 5 final four appearances in the last several years.
Here the NCAA national team finishes for Pitt in the years she competed:
1996: indoor 13th; outdoor 20th
1997: indoor 8th; outdoor 18th
1998: indoor 3rd; outdoor 12th
1999: indoor 6th; outdoor 10th
She also led Pitt to the 1999 Big East indoor championship. Pitt was runner up in 1996 BE indoors and was the BE outdoor runner up in 1998.
There aren't that many stretches for any Pitt sports that have competed that well at a national level.
There is no other athlete at Pitt nearly as decorated as her, and she toiled in near obscurity when she was at Pitt. I can't even remember seeing her profiled once in the Post-Gazette when she was racking up national championship after national championship, and that was disgraceful.
