Pitt Volleyball Sweeps Weekend ACC Matches
Pitt won both conference matches against Wake Forest and NC State to improve to 21-1 overall and 11-1 in the ACC.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Volleyball
Pitt defeated Wake Forest 3-1 on Friday and NC State 3-0 in Raleigh on Sunday. The Panthers are ranked No. 2 nationally and have dropped only one set since early October.
Why it matters
The weekend wins keep Pitt atop the conference standings as the regular season nears its end. Balanced production from several players helped the team absorb Olivia Babcock's absence against Wake Forest.
Blaire Bayless posted 22 kills at a .386 hitting percentage against Wake Forest, while Ayanna Watson added 19 kills and 11 digs in the same match. Izzy Starck contributed 35 assists, and the stub does not say whether Babcock will be fully available for the next two matches.
The players
Pitt Volleyball
The University of Pittsburgh's women's volleyball program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference and is currently ranked No. 2 nationally.
Blaire Bayless
A Pitt volleyball player who led the team with 22 kills and a .386 hitting percentage in the Wake Forest match.
Olivia Babcock
A Pitt volleyball player who missed the Wake Forest match due to the flu and returned to lead the NC State match with 13 kills.
The details
Pitt won the Wake Forest match 3-1 after dropping the second set 23-25. Against NC State, Pitt won in straight sets, with Babcock returning to lead the offense with 13 kills and an ace after missing Friday's match due to the flu.
Timeline
Friday: Pitt defeats Wake Forest 3-1.
Sunday: Pitt defeats NC State 3-0 in Raleigh.
Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.: Pitt hosts Duke at Victory Heights Arena.
Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.: Pitt plays UNC.
Season Trajectory
Pitt's 11-1 ACC record and No. 2 national ranking put it in position to contend for conference supremacy as the regular season enters its final stretch. The team has dropped only one set since its early-October loss to SMU, and the Wake Forest second-set loss is the only one since then.
Pitt's 11-1 ACC mark gives it a strong position in the conference standings with the Duke and UNC matches scheduled next. Fantasy and bracket watchers should note Bayless and Watson's recent production in the Wake Forest match.
The takeaway
Pitt's ability to win without Babcock in one match and then return to lead the offense shows depth heading into the final ACC stretch. Readers following the season can track the Duke and UNC matches as the next tests of that depth.
What happens next
Pitt hosts Duke on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at Victory Heights Arena and plays UNC on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
Further reading
For more on the program's recent run, see Pittsburgh Volleyball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Pitt News.
