HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team battled with No. 10 Pitt for four sets before eventually falling, 3-1. HPU was led offensively by
Sydney Palazzolo with a double-double (12 kills, 15 digs) along with
Dylan Maberry who chipped in 10 kills.
Ally Van Eekeren passed out 26 assists and
Jillian Ziemba posted 19 digs.
Site: Millis Center
Score: High Point 1 (18, 25, 14, 22), No. 10 Pittsburgh 3 (25, 23, 25, 25)
Records: High Point (11-7, 4-0 Big South), No. 10 Pittsburgh (14-2, 4-0 ACC)
Pitt used a 5-1 run early in the first set to take a 10-7 lead, but three-straight Pitt errors tied up the match at 10.
Maria Miggins put away a kill and
Gabrielle Idlebird had three straight points for HPU to give High Point the 13-12.
Pitt rattled off six unanswered points late in the set to hold the 23-16 lead and traded points with High Point to take the first set.
HPU opened up a 6-3 lead in set two with kills from Van Eekeren and Palazzolo.
Pitt took a 14-11 lead midway through the set, but HPU rallied with a 5-1 run on kills from Maberry,
Kathryn Wesolich, and Idlebird.
Palazzolo had kills for three HPU points late in the set before a Pitt service error gave High Point the set win and tied the match at one set apiece. HPU finished the set hitting .316 with 15 kills.
Pittsburgh used several runs to bring the momentum back to the visiting bench, including an 8-1 run to end the set and pick up the 25-14 win.
The home team Panthers opened up the fourth set with a 6-3 lead on kills from Palazzolo, Maberry, and Miggins as well as a Wesolich block.
Pitt stormed back to take the 12-10 lead, but High Point continued to chip away before tying the set at 15 and using a 6-1 run to hold an 18-15 lead. Van Eekeren and Miggins each had two kills in the run.
While HPU led 20-18, Pitt would go on to score seven of the last nine points in the set to take the 25-22 win.
Up Next: High Point returns to Big South play next weekend as the Panthers travel to Radford and Campbell.
#GoHPU
