Stats to Know Before Pitt's Sweet 16 Battle
We dive in to the numbers for some of Pitt's top players before they face Minnesota.
Good morning and happy Sweet 16 Match Day here in Pittsburgh! Pitt takes on Minnesota tonight at 7:00, with SMU vs. Purdue following.
Even before we get the 2025 season settled, there's a glimpse of 2026 – Pitt will open next season at the Pete with ESPN-televised matches against fellow Sweet 16 qualifiers Kansas and Wisconsin. Now that is going to be fun.
Onto the stats, and thanks to the good folks at Evollve for many of these stats– check out their site!
Evollve
Olivia Babcock - 5.1 kills per set, .329 hitting percentage (both Top 5 among power-conference pins)
As Olivia Babcock goes, so go the Panthers.
Pitt's 2025 fate was always going to rely on her right arm, and Babcock has understood the assignment – grabbing the school's single-season kills record early on in the NCAA Tournament.
Another day, another broken record.
— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 6, 2025
Olivia Babcock 👑 pic.twitter.com/PEVLywy0aw
It's also a credit to Pitt setter Brooke Mosher that Babcock's offensive numbers have not taken a step back, given that Mosher was replacing a pro-level setter in Rachel Fairbanks.
Babcock and Wisconsin's Mimi Colyer are the only pin hitters from the big conferences to be Top 5 in both kills per set and hitting percentage:
Kills Per Set (Power Conference Pin Hitters)
- Flormarie Heredia Colon - OH - Miami - 6.3
- Kennedy Martin - RS - Penn State - 5.4
- Mimi Colyer - OH - Wisconsin - 5.3
- Olivia Babcock - RS - Pitt - 5.1
- Jurnee Robinson - OH - LSU - 4.8
Hitting Percentage (Power Conference Pin Hitters)
- Malaya Jones - RS - SMU - .378
- Torrey Stafford - OH - Texas - .359
- Noemie Glover - RS - ASU - .357
- Mimi Colyer - OH - Wisconsin - .340
- Olivia Babcock - RS - Pitt - .329
But if you caught that Malaya Jones is atop the second list, yeah, that's just a reminder that SMU could be a serious test for Pitt on Saturday in the Elite Eight (should both teams advance tonight).
Olivia Babcock - 246 digs (team-high)
The biggest difference with Babcock from last year to this year – besides ditching her high-risk-high-reward jump topspin serve for a less taxing float serve – would be her floor defense.
Last season, Babcock was fifth on the Panthers in digs.
So Babcock made a commitment to contributing more there, even asking head coach Dan Fisher to hit balls at her for extra practice reps.
"I just have been really focused on it. Fish actually told me I was too hyper-focused on it at one point," Babcock said back in September.
It has paid off. Babcock has consistently been to sweep the floor and keep the Panthers in points. That will be even more crucial against tough opponents later in the tournament who can extend rallies and make things difficult.
If Babcock wins a second straight National Player of the Year Award, it will be in part because she has added more value on defense than ever before.
Bre Kelley - 1.49 blocks per set (team-high)
Some volleyball folks were surprised when Bre Kelley was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. They shouldn't have been. Kelley played the biggest part in Pitt being 4th in the nation with 2.93 blocks per set.
"You don't get a top-four seed by being one-dimensional or only having one player who can do great things, which Pitt does have," Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook told assembled reporters in Pittsburgh. "They're a really nice blocking team, really great coverage team, really persistent mentality."
Cook's Gophers have a tall task (heh) in hitting past Kelley tonight. If star hitter Julia Hanson (the AVCA Northwest Region Player of the Year) wants to score, she'll have to get around one of the nation's best blockers.
Blocks Per Set (Power Conference Middles)
- Ifenna Cos-Okpalla - Texas A&M - 1.67 blocks
- Colby Neal - Arizona State - 1.50 blocks
- Bre Kelley - Pitt - 1.49 blocks
- Kendal Kemp - Georgia - 1.48 blocks
- Favor Anyanwu - SMU - 1.47 blocks
I'll certainly miss Kelley after this season, but I also look forward to watching as she heads straight into a pro career.
Abbey Emch - .509 hitting percentage (team-high)
A true freshman from 58 miles outside Pittsburgh, Abbey Emch has been one of the pleasant surprises of Pitt's season.
I expected Emch's development to be a longer-term project, perhaps with her becoming an impact player in 2026. Instead, Emch took a regular spot at middle blocker about halfway through the season and has not surrendered it.
While setter Brooke Mosher took a while to find her timing with middles Bre Kelley and Ryla Jones, it happened more quickly between Mosher and Emch. With quick sets and slides, Emch has become a dynamic part of the Panthers' attack, hitting .509 on the season.
Pitt has won 58.2% of points played while Emch has been on the court, the best on the team among players with at least 1,000 points played. The Panthers have posted a .376 team hitting percentage when Emch is playing, also the highest on the team.
In addition to the offensive boost, Coach Fisher has touted Emch's defensive abilities in her added playing time:
"I think it's made our block a little better," Fisher said "But we have four really good middles, and it's a hard decision. We know that we can cause problems with anyone out there."
Blaire Bayless - .294 hitting percentage
It may not be Emch's .509, but Bayless' attack has taken a step up from a season ago.
Last season, Bayless hit 8.4% of her shots out of bounds (or into the net) and 9.8% of them blocked. This year, she's chopped those numbers down – 5.2% out of bounds and 6.8% blocked.
She has always had a sharp swing, but Bayless removing so many errors has helped to boost her hitting percentage from .158 a year ago to .294 alongside a much larger load of the offense. Her 708 attacks are easily the 2nd-most on the team.
If defenses hone in too much on Babcock, the other Killer B can make them pay.
Pitt's odds of making the Final Four - 61.1%
There are many more stats that I could dive into, but I'll leave you with Evollve's chances of Pitt making it to Kansas City – a little better than 3 out of 5.
While the Panthers are a heavy favorite to beat Minnesota tonight, Evollve gives SMU a 30% chance to beat Purdue and Pitt to win the regional at the Petersen Events Center and reach their first Final Four.
Pitt Volleyball team is riding a home winning streak of 50 straight matches into these regionals, and they are hoping that ride continues for at least two more and a ticket to the Final Four.
