Nov. 21, 2008

 

Box Score

 

 

PITTSBURGH—Junior Meagan Dooley recorded a career-high 11 blocks, as the University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball team came back in a five-set thriller to upset second-seeded and regular-season co-champion Cincinnati in the first round of the Big East Championship, held at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt won the match with scores of 18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-14 and 15-10 and improved to 17-13 overall.

Trailing 0-2 in the match, Pitt rallied a 3-2 comeback victory over the Bearcats (21-9) to snap a 15-match win streak. The Panthers improved to 8-5 in the series and took the 3-2 lead in contest played at Fitzgerald Field House.

Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) garnered just her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 blocks. She was instrumental in Pitt’s comeback, when she posted five kills and four blocks in the third-set victory.

In the match, Pitt recorded 19 total blocks, which is the second-highest of the season and the team’s best since Oct. 5 against Georgetown. The Panthers out-blocked Cincinnati, 19-6.

Following intermission, Pitt took the lead in the third frame and never looked back.

The Panthers were led by sophomore Amy Town (Orillia, Ont./Orillia) with 19 kills, while senior Kelly Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield/Pacific) had a double-double with 16 kills and 12 digs. Campbell also added five block assists in the match.

Additionally, senior Nicole Taurence (Trenton, Mich./Trenton) turned in an all-around performance as she collected 32 assists, seven digs, seven block assists and six kills.

In the fourth set, Campbell collected six kills and a .625 hitting percentage. The Panthers tied the match at 2-2, when Campbell painted the opposite corner’s end line with a kill.

With the momentum still in its favor, Pitt jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the deciding stanza. That lead forced two timeouts by the regular-season co-champions and included two block assists from Dooley and Taurence.

Junior Michelle Rossi (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) recorded a match-high 21 digs, posting her ninth contest of the season with 20 or more digs.

Pitt earned its first Big East Championship win since the 3-0 victory over Syracuse in 2004. The Panthers face Louisville at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday in the semifinals. The No. 3 seed Cardinals swept the No. 6 seed Orange in the third match of the tournament, this afternoon.