Reynolds Coliseum was loud, the band was rocking and the stands were filled. With a scene set for an upset over No. 7 Pitt, NC State volleyball fell flat in a straight sweep, snapping an 11-game home winning streak.
“The crowd did a great job, we love it and it really helps us,” said head coach Luka Slabe. “It’s a bummer that we didn’t give them a great game tonight … We appreciate it a ton and are hoping it continues.”
The Panthers (18-3, 9-1 ACC) were always going to present the Pack (15-5, 5-4 ACC) with a major challenge. Pitt is a disciplined team that won’t beat themselves by making mistakes —- meaning NC State would need to play its best. The red-and-white started the sets strong, but it ran out of gas midway through each set.
“Pitt’s a really good team, and they’ve got a really good record for a reason,” Slabe said. “They’re really well coached, have great defenders, pass it really well …That’s why they’ve been to a Final Four for two years in a row.”
Set one began as a back-and-forth battle, but it ended in a 25-15 win for the Panthers. As the set continued, there was a significant difference between the two teams: errors. NC State committed 11 errors in the set, compared to Pitt’s six.
“Pitt does a really good job of putting pressure on you,” Slabe said. “They’re super long, physical and in your face.”
During the second set, NC State jumped out to a 6-2 lead, bringing a roar to the electric home crowd. After this initial run, Pitt regrouped and stormed past the red-and-white enroute to a 25-16 set win, the closest of the night. As the set progressed, the Pack’s scoring went cold and never truly recovered.
“Props to Pitt — they had really nice blocking and defense that made it really tough for us to score,” said sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard. “If we want to make it on the big stage, make it to the tournament and beat these high level teams, we’re going to need to learn how to outsmart them.”
The third set brought more of the same. The two squads traded blows early before Pitt turned on the jets to secure a 25-13 set win that clinched the sweep for the Panthers. Overall, Pitt outplayed NC State In virtually every facet of the game.
“We’re really close,” Brizard said. “We’re right on that eclipse and just need that last thing to click. I think that’s going to happen really soon for us.”
The Wolfpack will remain home to take on the Virginia Cavaliers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22. With Virginia sitting with a losing record, this is the perfect get-right game for the red-and-white.
