Pitt volleyball freshman right side hitter Olivia Babcock earned National Player of the Week honors for her performance in the sweep against then ranked No. 8 Georgia Tech on the road last Friday.
Babcock officially received AVCA/GameChanger Women’s Division I Player of the Week on Tuesday. She led Pitt with 15 kills and had an incredible .652 hitting percentage. She was also second with four total blocks, had three digs and tied with sophomore libero/defensive specialist Griffin for two services aces, best on Pitt. The ACC also named her Offensive Player of the Week.
She is the second Pitt player to earn the award, as former outside hitter Kayla Lund received the recognition in September 2021. Lund notched 40 kills in two wins over then No. 9 Baylor and Tennessee, hitting .337.
Babcock has featured as one of the best freshmen in the country, earning ACC freshmen of the Week honors five times. She leads Pitt with 382.0 points, 302 kills, 31 service aces, second with 93.0 total blocks and fourth with 100 digs. She also ranks No. 3 in the ACC with 4.39 points per set, No. 7 with 3.47 kills per set and No. 9 with both 1.07 blocks per set and 0.36 service aces per set.
Pitt volleyball head coach Dan Fisher complimented Babcock on her stellar game against Georgia Tech. He also pointed to her experience playing at the international level and her play in big matches this season to show how great she is at such a young age.
“We knew she was an elite athlete, elite physically and certainly believed in her potential, but just the season she’s having as a freshman just shows that she’s learning and improving,” Fisher said. “She’s gotten better, but also shows that she likes the big moments.
Pitt will need Olivia Babcock and her talents this Saturday, as they face off against No. 4 Louisville this Saturday at the Petersen Events Center, with the ACC title on the line.
