No. 6 Pittsburgh edged No. 4 Louisville, 3-2, in a fiery top 10 rivalry matchup on Sunday, October 19. The two ACC foes duked it in a rematch of the 2024 national semifinals, feeding off the energy in a bouncing L&N Federal Credit Arena. 

In a tightly contested five-setter that showcased the best of what each defenses had to offer, the Panthers found the edge with 10 blocks while hitting .313 despite the Cardinals efforts. 

Pitt stuck first, taking a 25-20 win in set one. But Louisville flipped the script in set two and three, earning commanding wins and a 2-1 edge entering the fourth. In a do or die situation, the Panthers owned set four, 25-17 and forced the rivalry match to five. 

With the Cardinal crowd on their feet, Louisville punched first but a 6-0 Pitt scoring run put the Panthers ahead 7-3. Louisville fought back within one point of striking distance before Pitt took total control and clinched the victory, 15-11. 

Outside Olivia Babcock had a historic day, powering a program-record 41 kills on .423 hitting. Babcock’s elite performance marks her as only the fourth NCAA player since 2019 to record 40 kills in a single match. She passed her previous career-high of 33 kills in set four which she earned in 2024 against Louisville in their Final Four loss. 

The 2024 National Player of the Year shared five blocks on the day with middle Ryla Jones, forcing the Louisville offense to a .167 and .000 hitting percentage in the fourth and fifth sets. 

With the win, Pitt earned its seventh ranked victory of the season and avenged its 2024 national semifinal heartbreak while handing Louisville only its fourth loss at home since 2020. The two rivals will meet again Wednesday, Nov. 26 at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. 

See final stats here. 

No. 6 Pittsburgh defeats No. 4 Louisville