Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Delaware volleyball team wrapped up its regular season with an incredible 3-1 (29-27, 15-25, 25-21, 25-22) victory over Big East power Pittsburgh during the final day of Virginia Commonwealth’s Thanksgiving Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Siegel Center.

Having already knocked off Villanova, Seton Hall, and Rutgers this season, Delaware (21-8) entered Saturday’s action with a pristine 3-0 record against Big East competition. Fittingly, in the regular season finale, the Blue Hens continued their dominance of one of the nation’s top conferences.

Alissa Alker (top right) and Katie Dennehy (bottom right) led Delaware and tied for the team-lead with 15 kills. Kim Stewart also had another incredible performance, posting her third straight double-double after recording 14 kills and 14 digs.

Not to be outdone, seniors Stephanie Barry and Michelle LaLonde also pieced together impressive efforts. Barry posted a team-high 21 digs, while LaLonde had eight kills and four blocks. With that effort, she became just the fourth Blue Hen in program history to post three seasons with at least 100 blocks during her career.

Keeping with tradition, the victory also continued Delaware’s late-season success in recent history. This year, UD finished the regular season with 17 wins in its last 20 contests. Overall, the squad has now gone 19-3 in the final month of competition during the last three years.

Set one against Pitt (20-11) was evenly-matched from the start as the two teams traded rallies in the beginning. Following a 4-4 tie, Delaware momentarily pulled away, capitalizing on two kills and an ace from Stewart to take a three-point edge at 9-6.

After that point, Pitt fired back. Four straight winners by the Panthers gave the squad a slim 10-9 lead. A pair of kills by Stewart in the middle of the set helped keep Delaware close, but eventually, a four-point streak by Pittsburgh put the team on the verge of victory with a 22-18 advantage.

Never one to back down from a challenge, UD refused to quit and immediately battled back. An ace by Kelly Gibson and kills by Stewart, Dennehy, and Alker quickly knotted the frame at 22. With the set on the line, both teams dug in. Fighting off set-point after set-point, neither team could take control until the Hens settled down. A kill by Stewart knotted the set at 27 before two Pitt miscues handed Delaware a 29-27 victory.

Down a frame, the Panthers pieced together an impressive response. The team ran away with a 7-1 lead in the opening moments of the second set. Later, behind four kills from Meagan Dooley, the team built upon its lead and secured a seven-point advantage at 13-6.

Guided by a mid-set surge, however, the Blue Hens chipped away at their deficit. A five-point roll, capped by back-to-back kills from LaLonde and Dennehy, pulled UD back within two at 13-11. Two rallies later, the squad held its two-point deficit until Pittsburgh hit its stride in the waning moments of the frame.

Over the final 14 rallies, Dooley took over. The reigning Big East Player of the Year ripped five kills and added three blocks to close out a 25-15 victory in the second frame.

One setback certainly did not hamper Delaware as the team quickly regrouped in the third. Three kills by Alker helped propel the Hens to a modest 6-4 lead following intermission. Although Pitt rallied to snatch a 7-6 advantage and kept that edge until 13-12, UD never trailed again after that point.

Down one, Delaware battled back. Consecutive kills by LaLonde and Paige Erickson eventually lifted the team to a two-point lead at 15-13. Later, an ace by Greta Gibboney and a block and blast by Alker gave the squad a 20-16 edge.

Leading by four, the Hens slowly eased into the victory. Blasts by LaLonde and Erickson helped set up a laser by Dennehy that clinched a 25-21 win.

Up two-sets-to-one, Delaware fell behind early in the fourth as Pitt grabbed six of the first seven rallies. Unfazed by the deficit, UD came back with a vengeance. Gibson launched back-to-back aces and Dennehy uncorked two kills and added a block as the team flipped its five-point deficit into a three-point lead at 10-7.

Coming out of a timeout, Pitt chipped Delaware’s lead down to one on several occasions in the middle of the frame. Finally, after seeing their edge whittled down again at 13-12, the Hens went on a roll. Back-to-back blasts by Alker, two kills from Dennehy, and one ace each from Gibson and Gibboney led Delaware on an 8-4 run that resulted in a 21-16 lead.

Kills by LaLonde and Alker eventually sustained a comfortable four-point lead at 23-19. Although the Panthers won the next two rallies, Delaware never backed down. Finally, another shot by Alker gave the team match-point at 24-21, and after Pitt staved off the inevitable for one rally, Delaware’s freshman phenom unloaded another kill to clinch the four-set victory with a 25-22 win.

Coming on the heels of a 36-assist performance during a three-set victory over Liberty yesterday, Jess Chason had another outstanding day on Saturday. The CAA Setter of the Year dished out 55 assists and added four digs.

Offensively, Delaware finished the match with an excellent .253 hitting percentage. Dennehy led the team with a .333 mark after punching 15 kills on just 36 swings. Alker also hit .300 against the Panthers, while LaLonde posted a .273 average.

Undone by Delaware’s potent attack, Pitt still had several impressive performances during the contest. Dooley finished with 23 kills and five blocks, while Allyson Hodnik added 62 assists and 13 digs. Michelle Rossi also had a match-high 31 digs for the Panthers.

Rachel Kalberer also had nine kills and two blocks for Pitt, while Imani Harper had 12 blasts. Michelle Walker rounded out the top performers, posting 11 kills and four digs.