Oct. 3, 2009

Box Score

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Despite a season-high 24 kills from senior Amy Town, the University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball team dropped a 3-1 match to Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena, this afternoon. Pitt fell to 10-7 on the season and 2-1 in Big East play, while the Bearcats improved to 11-7 on the year and 2-0 in league action.

Town finished the match with a double-double, her third in Big East action this season, including 11 digs. Senior Meagan Dooley chipped in 17 kills and eight blocks, while senior Michelle Rossi collected a match-high 19 digs.

In the final set of the match, one of Town’s kills gave the Panthers a 13-7 advantage. A few points later, sophomore Allyson Hodnik dumped a pass from Town and pushed Pitt ahead 18-9. However, Cincinnati would rally a 19-21 comeback and force a Panther timeout.

Pitt would later hold set point nine times in the contest, but would eventually fall 35-33 in the contest. Town matched a set-high with 11 kills, while Rossi led all with nine digs.

Earlier, in the second set, Dooley’s kill forced a Bearcat timeout, after the Panthers jumped out to an 8-2 lead. Later, the score was knotted at 18, but Pitt regrouped and pulled away, 21-18, following a kill from senior Melissa Stadelman. The Panthers won the final three points of the set off Cincinnat errors and tied the match at 1-1.

Town was perfect on the attack, going 5-for-5 in that set. As a team, Pitt hit .478 and recorded 14 kills.

The match began with the Bearcats taking the first set, 25-20, despite the Panthers out-blocking Cincinnati 3-0, and holding a better hitting percentage at .296. Hodnik recorded an assist on all 10 of the Panthers kills in the opening set.

In the third set, Pitt committed eight hitting errors and another three serving errors in a 25-20 loss. Town recorded a game-high five kills in the set.

The Panthers travel to Louisville, next, for at 2 p.m. match tomorrow.