USF 3, Pittsburgh 1 | Box Score PDF | Live Chat Transcript   1 2 3 4 5 F  USF 26 22 23 25 -- 3  Pittsburgh 24 25 25 22 -- 1  Top Performers  Player Kills Hitting Pct. Blocks Digs Points  USF - Luiz 18 .395 3 11 20.5  USF - Gurgel 18 .231 0 11 18.0  Pitt - Harper 15 .423 3 1 17.5  Pitt - Dooley 14 .250 5 5 17.0 USF Volleyball Central • Volleyball Main Page | Ticket Information | BullsVision • 2009 Interactive Guide | 2009 Weekly Releases • USF Season Statistics | BIG EAST Conference | NCAA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -  The No. 6 seed University of South Florida volleyball team upset the No. 3 seed Pittsburgh Panthers, 3-1, in the first round of the BIG EAST tournament on Friday morning. The Bulls avenged a loss during the regular season to the Panthers, 3-2, on Oct. 11at The Corral.

"That was by far the biggest win for this group this year," said head coach Claire Lessinger.  "Pitt is as athletic and as physical as they come.  I have to give credit to our passing and setting today - both setters were poised and confident in leading our offense.  There is no doubt this team wanted a "W" today and I am one proud coach to say the least."

Only the second time in USF history have the Bulls (18-8 overall, 9-5 BIG EAST) advanced to the semifinals since joining the BIG EAST in 2005. More impressively, USF defeated a team that hit at a higher attack percentage for the first time in the 2009 season.  The Panthers outhit the Bulls, .277 to .257, with 15 more kills. Defensively, senior All-BIG EAST First Team member Alli Arbogast and the sixth-ranked blocking team in the nation outblocked the Panthers, 9.0 to 8.0.

Senior Marcela Gurgel, another All-BIG EAST First Team member, and senior Pamela Luiz each boasted 18 kills to lead the Bulls past Pitt and the BIG EAST Player of the Year, Meagan Dooley. 

Offensively, Luiz led the Bulls with a .395 attack percentage, junior Mariana Thon and senior Brittany Castelamare added 29 and 22 assists, respectively. The Bulls 55 assist in the match was a season high. Sophomore Janice Rivera had a match-high 18 digs, with Luiz and Gurgel adding 11 each.

"We were very excited for this game," said Luiz. "I think the team was very focused and on the same page, which was key in our victory today."

In the first set of the BIG EAST tournament, the Bulls played tight with 11 score ties and only three lead changes, but none of the lead changes was more important that at 24-24. Pittsburgh, which was at set point with a 24-21 lead, found USF relentless, coming back on a 5-0 run. The Bulls defeated the Panthers, 26-24, in the first set to take the early 1-0 lead.

Both teams had yet to make an error to start the match as each team recorded three kills to keep the set tied, 3-3. After a service error by Pitt, the Bulls were the first team to take more than a one-point lead as they went on a 4-0 run to take the 8-5 lead. Freshman Caitlyn Breen and Luiz blocked back-to-back Panther attacks during USF's run.

Pitt slowly came back to even the score at 12. The Panthers went on a run of their own before Lessinger called a timeout at 19-17. Gurgel cut the lead to one with a kill of her own. USF used their second timeout after two kills and a block by Pitt gave the Panthers the 22-18 lead. A kill by Boaz and two Pitt attack errors forced Pitt to call its first timeout as the Bulls shortened the Pitt lead, 23-21. A kill by Pittsburgh's Amy Town gave the Panthers set point. 

The Bulls were unyielding to the Pitt attack as USF fought back to even the score at 24-24. Arbogast, the nation's fourth leading blocker, stopped the Pitt attack for the last two points with assistance from senior Jarka Havlickova and Luiz to take the first set 26-24.

Similar to the match between the two teams earlier in the year, the Panthers fought back to win the second set, 25-22, and even the score, 1-1. As in the first set, both teams fought back and forth with no team taking more than a one-point lead early in the set. At 8-8, the Panthers went on a 7-3 run before a media timeout was called. The Bulls took full advantage, coming out and scoring the next four points to even the score, 15-15. A kill by Luiz, a Breen and Boaz block, a Boaz kill and then an ace by Thon triggered the ninth tie of the set. The Bulls did not lead for the rest of the set as they fell, 25-22, to even the score, 1-1.

The Bulls' 15 kills in the third set was enough to take the 2-1 lead, defeating Pitt, 25-23. Only one USF error was committed in the victory.

Luiz evened it up at 1-1 with one of her four kills in Set 3 to begin the set like the two prior. A kill by Boaz, who ended up with her 18th career match with 10 or more kills, and a service ace by Rivera gave the Bulls the early 5-3 lead. USF went on another 3-0 run, one of four of the set, with an Arbogast ace.

At 21-21, USF called a timeout to throw off Pittsburgh's tempo. Arbogast, with the only block of the set, stuffed Melissa Stadelman to take the 22-21 lead, and then followed later with a kill to give the Bulls set point, 24-22. A Pittsburgh service error gave the Bulls the set, 25-23, and the 2-1 lead.

Boaz who was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, started the set with one of her 12 kills of the match to tie the score, 1-1.  Arbogast, with her second solo block of the match, stopped a Pitt attack and tied the set, 4-4. A 3-0 run for the Panthers forced USF to call a timeout at 8-5. Luiz slammed down a kill to even the score at 12-12 to continue the Bulls 5-0 run. Pitt called a timeout at 19-18 after an Arbogast and Havlickova block. At 19-19, the Bulls went on a 6-3 run on three Luiz kills to take the set.

Luiz, with seven kills in the set, ended the fourth set to give the Bulls the 25-22 victory and a spot in the quarterfinal match against Cincinnati at 1p.m. on Saturday at the Kentucky International Convention Center.