Overview
- The regional final is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center on ESPN2, with streaming on Fubo and ESPN platforms.
- Pitt reached the Elite Eight with sweeps of UMBC, Michigan and Minnesota, with Olivia Babcock noting the Panthers feel battle-tested by tight late-set play.
- Purdue advanced by rallying past SMU in four sets, 16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 29-27, to return to a regional final for the first time since 2021.
- Key performers include Pitt’s Olivia Babcock (601 season kills) and setter Brooke Mosher (1,169 assists), while Purdue’s Kenna Wollard logged 23 kills at .457 versus SMU with support from Akasha Anderson and Grace Heaney.
- Purdue holds an 11-1 edge in the all-time series, and coach Dave Shondell has tied Gene Keady as Purdue’s all-time winningest head coach with 512 victories.