The Pittsburgh Panthers have blitzed into this year’s NCAA championship after trouncing Washington State 3-0. The Panthers’ sensational performance comes only days after 7 members of the team were recently named to the East Coast All-Region volleyball team. Now, it looks like the team has plenty of steam left in their engine to see them across the rest of the tournament. The Panthers’ latest triumph was heralded by a freshman who has put out a decisive performance with an incredible 22 points in just 3 sets.

Olivia Babcock, the Pitt volleyball team’s newest addition, has sent ripples across the community by being named by AVCA to the East Coast team. In the match between Pittsburgh and Washington State, Babcock once again showed her mettle.

Pitt volleyball freshman steals the show against Washington

Olivia Babcock’s stupendous performance in the group stages against Coppin State and Southern California floored fans and connoisseurs alike. Babcock retained her winning ways as she helped the Panthers decimate their semifinal opponents with 15 kills and 4 aces. The official NCAA Women’s Volleyball account shared Babcock’s feat with the statement “She’s a freshman“.

The freshman also contributed significantly to the defensive duties with 5 blocks. However, Babcock attributed her performance to not overthinking too much. “It was no-think mode“, revealed the star of the show in a post-match interview.

In the interview, Babcock also talked about her teammates and how they maintained cohesion to make sure they were at their peak during their games. She said she was just concerned with just having fun and didn’t allow the pressure of the match to get the best of her. Babcock said that not letting one mistake get to you is important, and that’s what helped the team to recover after the second set. Rachel Fairbanks and Emma Monks of the Panthers are also part of the East Coast All-Region team alongside Babcock.

Pitt Panthers eyeing the big boys

Panthers have become the third team to secure their spot in the regional finals. Now, they’ll be facing some true powerhouses. From the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Nebraska Huskers, there will be multiple Goliaths who will look to halt the Panthers’ dream run.

Read more: Wisconsin Badgers Volleyball Steamroll Penn State in a 4-Set Thriller to Clinch Sweet-8 Spot

The No. 1 seed Huskers are running high after their Big Ten win this year after 7 years of drought. However, the Pitts are being considered as the dark horses who can cause major upsets in the tournament. Now, it waits to be seen if the Panthers can make 2023 a memorable year or if their dreams are waiting to be crumbled by their foes.

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