Miami gets the biggest win of its season to put itself on the map in the national title race.
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | |
| Miami (FL) | 24 | 14 | 25 | 25 | 15 |
| Pitt | 26 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 13 |
In the biggest test of the season for the Miami volleyball team, the Hurricanes hosted No. 4 Pittsburgh Friday night with their 14-game winning streak on the line. In front of an electric Miami home court advantage, the ‘Canes came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Pitt, 3-2 in Coral Gables.
Miami dropped the first two sets to Pittsburgh before coming back to take the third, 25-22. Miami thought it had won the set a point earlier, but instead regrouped after a questionable touch call to force a fourth set and get the home crowd going.
In Set 4, Miami took an early lead and held it at around five points and held it until a strong and consistent Panthers’ front line allowed Pitt to get back into it. After a Miami timeout, Pittsburgh pulled within a point at 18-17 before the Hurricanes went on a 3-0 run to separate again. In the biggest rally of the game, Miami took a 22-18 lead on Flormarie Heredia Colon’s 34th kill of the game, a new career-high and Miami record. The ‘Canes used the momentum of that point to cruise to a 25-19 set win.
By the time the fifth set started, an electricity had begun to pulse through a packed Miami crowd. The fans erupted when Pitt’s first serve of the set went long. Miami built an early lead in the set to 15 before a long delay stunted the Hurricane momentum. Pittsburgh coach Dan Fisher spent a long time arguing a call and then successfully challenged the next point for another delay in play, and Pitt took advantage of the reset. The Panthers tied the game at 11 before Heredia Colon took the lead back for good with another kill. Pitt’s Olivia Babcock, who stood out as one of the leaders of the Panthers through the match, put a serve on Miami’s match point into the net to give the ‘Canes a Top 5 win.
Miami’s win streak grows to 15 games, with the latest the biggest of the season. Pitt suffers its first ACC loss of the season. The Hurricanes next play Sunday, when another tall test in No. 10 SMU comes to Coral Gables.
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