PITTSBURGH (SMU) – No. 11 SMU Volleyball fell to No. 5 Pitt in four sets (20-25, 22-25, 28-26, 21-25) inside the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs moved their record to 8-4 on the year and 0-2 in the ACC while the Panthers improved to 10-2 and 2-0 in conference action.
 
Malaya Jones and Jadyn Livings led an offensive attack for the Mustangs that finished the match hitting .268 with 14 kills each. Livings added 11 digs to her stat line, earning her second double-double of the season and the sixth of her career.
 
Favor Anyanwu reached double-figures for the second time this season and third of her career Sunday afternoon with 10 kills, swinging at a .529 percent clip. Averi Carlson racked up 48 assists in the four-setter to go along with six digs and four blocks.

MATCH NOTES: 

• Under Head Coach Sam Erger, SMU is 49-12 in conference matches.
• Maggie Croft has had an ace in four straight matches.
• It was Jones' ninth time in double figures this season. Jadyn Livings extended her streak of double-digit kills to eight straight.
• Jordyn Schilling reached double-digit digs for the seventh time this season.
• With two aces against the Panthers on Sunday, Casey Batenhorst has multiple aces in four matches on the season.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE | After a 4-2 start by SMU in the first set, Pitt used a 5-0 run to gain a three-point lead (7-4). The Mustangs fought for another advantage with a strong stretch, scoring eight of the next 11, however, the Panthers regained the lead once more and never gave it up. The Mustangs got to within one on kill from Livings and a solo block from Carlson to force Pitt into a timeout (18-17), but the Panthers ended the set well scoring on seven of the final 10 to win the frame 25-20. Both blocks were dominant in the first set as there were a combined 11 rejections in the opener.
 
SET TWO | The Panthers opened the second set with a 3-0 lead and stretched it to as much as five before SMU began to chip away. The Mustangs got within a point at 20-19 on a kill from Jones but, Pitt responded with three straight kills from three different players to go up four in the redzone (23-19). SMU held on for one set point, but Pitt closed the set on the second to win the frame 25-22.
 
SET THREE | A solid services run for Batenhorst gave SMU an early advantage as she guided the Mustangs to a 9-5 lead with back-to-back aces on the tail end of the stretch. Pitt closed the gap starting at the 11-8 mark where it got three straight kills from Olivia Babcock to surge within one. After a block from Anyanwu and Jones, followed by an attack error by the Panthers, the clubs trade points into extras. Pitt fought off two set points and then added another point on a kill from Babcock to put themselves in the driver seat at set point within an opportunity for a sweep. SMU got the run they needed with three straight to close out the frame 28-26. A kill from Newsome in between two kills from Jones detailed the run. Jones led the Mustangs in the set with six kills, followed by Anyanwu who went for five terminations.

SET FOUR | Pitt opened the fourth set, like the second with a 3-0 start. SMU stayed in contention, down two at 11-9, until a 5-0 run for the Panthers gave them the cushion they needed to close out the match. SMU showed great fight late with four straight after being down six at 23-17 to get to the 20-point threshold, but Pitt managed the stretch and ended the match, riding the right arm the 2024 National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock who ended the match with her 29^th kill to clinch the set 25-21.

SMU LEADERS:
SMU Kills Leader: Malaya Jones/Jadyn Livings (14)
SMU Assist Leader: Averi Carlson (48)
SMU Digs Leader: Jordyn Schilling/Jadyn Livings (11)
SMU Blocks Leader: Favor Anyanwu (8)
SMU Ace Leader: Casey Batenhorst/Malaya Jones (2)
SMU Points Leader: Malaya Jones (19)

Up Next: SMU returns home Friday for a matchup with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 7 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcasted on ACCNX.