Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Coastal Carolina on August 28, 2026 at 6 p.m.
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6 p.m.
Volleyball
at Coastal Carolina
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Friday, November 7
Durham, N.C.
6:30 PM
Duke University
2
vs
3
Pitt
Volleyball Falls to Pitt in Five
11/7/2014 10:13:00 PM | Volleyball
DURHAM, N.C. – No. 25 Duke forced a fifth set with a decisive fourth-frame victory but was unable to overcome Pitt in the end, falling 3-2 (27-29, 25-21, 25-27, 25-11, 11-15) Friday evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke (17-6, 9-3 ACC) led in blocks (13.0-7.5) and digs (78-75), but Pitt (20-4, 8-3 ACC) was able to knock down 72 kills to the Blue Devils' 62.
Outside hitter Emily Sklar and setter Kelsey Williams both registered their seventh double-double of the year. Sklar put down 21 kills to lead the Blue Devils and added 14 digs. Williams dished out 49 assists to mark her 13th match with 40-plus assists this season and contributed a career-best 22 digs.
Jeme Obeime, Jordan Tucker and Alyse Whitaker all topped double-digit kills, chipping in with 13, 11 and 10, respectively. That trio also combined for 19 blocks. Obeime totaled a career-high six blocks, while Whitaker added six and Tucker seven.
Libero Sasha Karelov amassed 21 digs, good for her 11th match this season with or more digs.
Maria Genitsaridi's 20 kills paced Pitt, which also received 14 kills from Kate Yeazel and 10 kills from Mariah Bell. Panther libero Delaney Clesen led all players with 27 digs.
Pitt dealt the first blow in set one before Duke countered with a late rally. The Panthers led 20-15 before Duke tied the score at 24-all on a Sklar kill. The Blue Devils nearly came away with the set after a Pitt attack error put the frame in reach, but the Panthers' Mechael Guess recorded the key kill. Duke fought off two Pitt set points, once with a Whitaker/Obeime block and again with a Sklar kill, before the Panthers won the set, 29-27. Genitsaridi had seven kills in the frame and put down the final two kills to seal the Pitt win.
The Blue Devils led by four early before the Panthers eked ahead 15-14. Obeime sent down the kill to tie the score, sparking a 10-4 Duke run. Down 24-18, Pitt won three straight points to make things interesting prior to a Sklar kill to finish off Duke's 25-21, second-set decision. Sklar led all player with six kills in the stanza.
Much like the first set, the third frame featured multiple ties before Pitt escaped, 27-25. Duke trailed by three, 21-18, prior to another late rally. Trailing 24-22, Whitaker and Sklar each tallied kills to once again tie the score. The Panthers found a way to hold off Duke in the end, getting back-to-back kills form Casey Durham.
The fourth set belonged entirely to the Blue Devils who jumped out to a 16-4 start and never trailed. The Blue Devils hit .308 to the Panthers' -.054 clip in the frame, totaling 6.0 blocks. Whitaker had four blocks in the fourth set, while Sklar added four kills and a pair of blocks.
Duke was unable to carry the momentum over into the final stanza as Pitt sprinted ahead 4-1. The Blue Devils continued to chip away at the deficit, ultimately knotting things at 11-all on a Christina Vucich kill, her seventh of the night. Pitt won the final four points of the match on two kills, a block and an ace.
The setback was just Duke's second at home this season.
Duke hits the road for a match Sunday, Nov. 9 at Syracuse. First serve between the Blue Devils and the Orange is set for 1 p.m.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
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MB
/ Volleyball
RS/S
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MB
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S
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