Much like 2021, BYU’s season hung in the balance in an NCAA tournament match in Pittsburgh. Just as they did then, the No. 7-seed Cougars left the Steel City disappointed, watching their postseason hopes get dashed, this time in a 3-0 defeat to second-seeded Pittsburgh.
BYU was unable to keep up with Pitt, as the Panthers earned their third consecutive sweep and 18th on the year. The Cougars lost by set scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-18.
“I’m really proud of our group and the match they played tonight,” BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. “I want to congratulate Pitt on advancing. I thought they played a great match, and I wish them all the best in the tournament.”
BYU came into its contest with Pitt hoping to make up for a pair of defeats in the schools’ previous two meetings. The Panthers handed the Cougars their first loss of the season back in September just as they had in the fall of 2021.
Things got worse for BYU Saturday night, as the loss abruptly ends the Cougars’ season and gives Pitt its first ever sweep over the Provo school.
BYU kept things close in the initial set, as the two squads were knotted up on seven different occasions. A 4-0 Pitt run midway through the set proved pivotal to the Panthers’ Game 1 victory.
Pitt traded blows with its visitors in the second set as the Cougars did just enough to stay within striking distance to the very end. BYU scored four straight points down the stretch to get to 22, but lost the set on the next two points.
The final set saw the Panthers jump out to a 16-6 lead before the Cougars roared back, cutting the score to 22-18. From there, Pitt squelched BYU’s hope at a comeback, earning three consecutive points and completing the match.
The Cougars struggled to find an answer for Pitt right side hitter Courtney Buzzerio. The graduate senior had a .475 hitting percentage to go along with 23 kills.
Junior outside hitter Erin Livingston led BYU’s attack with 13 kills. Senior setter Whitney Bower finished the night with a team-leading 25 assists.
For the fourth time this year, BYU found itself on the wrong end of a sweep. This time it proved to be the conclusion of its season. The Cougars finish the year with a 22-7 record.
“I’m proud of our team, the fight that we gave them and I’m really proud of the season that we put together,” Olmstead said. “It was just a good opportunity for us to be out here and play in Pittsburgh, so we’ll cherish this opportunity and be grateful for it.”
BYU’s postseason play began Friday afternoon against James Madison. The Cougars cruised past the Dukes, using a three-set sweep to advance to their third, and most important, contest with the Panthers in the last two seasons.
Pitt’s triumph in that ever important matchup sends the school to its third consecutive sweet sixteen, where it will face third-seeded Florida.