Bulls Battled to the End Against No. 3 Pittsburgh

Tuesday, September 3

Pittsburgh, Pa.

6 p.m.

3-1,0-0MAC

No. 3 Pittsburgh

3-0,0-0ACC

Buffalo

Pittsburgh

Bulls Battled to the End Against No. 3 Pittsburgh

9/3/2024 8:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Zach Monell

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (3-1, 0-0 MAC) saw their first loss of the season at the hands to the No. 3 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0, 0-0 ACC) on Tuesday evening, 3-0.

The Panthers showed why they were the third-best team in the land as they outhit the Bulls, .516 to .026. Buffalo could only muster 25.0 points on the evening to Pittsburgh's 60.5.

Katrin Trebichavska led the team with seven kills and 8.0 points as she added a solo block in the first set. Mandy Leigh finished with 19 assists and three digs.

The Bulls were able to tie the first set at two after Trebichavska's solo block, but a Pittsburgh 4-0 run gave the Panthers a 6-2 lead. Pittsburgh took the set, 25-13.

In the second set, the Bulls had their worst offensive set of the season. They hit -.200 with four kills and nine errors on 25 attempts. The Panthers were able to string a 7-0 together to close the set at 25-10.

The Bulls grabbed their lone lead of the night at 1-0 to start the third set with Ava Kanj getting the kill. Buffalo kept the set close at 6-5, but an 8-1 Pittsburgh run put the set out of reach for the Bulls. UB battled to the end, but Pittsburgh took the match with a 25-15 decision in the third.

"Pitt really showcased the level of play that is necessary to win at the highest levels," stated Head Coach Scott Smith. "We fell short of that mark tonight, and while that is incredibly disappointing, I believe we learned valuable lessons throughout each set.

The Bulls are back in action on Friday as they'll travel to Hamilton, N.Y. for the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament hosted by Colgate. The tournament will run from Friday through Sunday when the Bulls take on UConn, Stony Brook and Colgate.