The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg volleyball team competed in three matches over two days at Hermann Court, facing host Wilmington on Friday before taking on Franklin and Sweet Briar on Saturday. The Bobcats battled through a pair of setbacks before finishing the weekend with their first victory of the 2026 season.
The trip also represented another step in the team's early-season development, as Pitt-Greensburg navigated its first overnight road trip while continuing to work through injuries and lineup adjustments.
Wilmington
Pitt-Greensburg opened the weekend Friday against host Wilmington, falling in three sets, 25-14, 26-24 and 25-15.
After Wilmington controlled the opening set, the Bobcats responded with a much stronger effort in the second. Pitt-Greensburg battled the Quakers through a frame that featured eight ties and four lead changes before Wilmington eventually edged the Bobcats, 26-24. The third set was competitive as well, featuring seven ties and three lead changes before the hosts pulled away.
"Friday showed us that when we stay composed and play together, we can compete point-for-point," head coach Holly Saville said. "We didn't get the result we wanted, but there were stretches where we showed what we're capable of. Now it's about learning how to sustain that level."
Damia Sibblies led Pitt-Greensburg with six kills, while Mia Stohon finished with five kills and three block assists. Paige Phillips and Lauren Fajbik each added four kills. Lilly Buckles directed the offense with 17 assists and nine digs, while Ainsley Martin anchored the back row with 18 digs.
Abigail Smulik also provided a spark in one set of action, putting down three kills on seven attempts for a .429 hitting percentage while adding four assists, two service aces and three digs.
Franklin
The Bobcats returned to the court Saturday morning against Franklin, falling in straight sets, 25-13, 25-13 and 25-13.
Pitt-Greensburg's best offensive set came in the second, when the Bobcats recorded seven kills and hit .185. Franklin, however, put together an efficient offensive performance, finishing with 45 kills and a .404 hitting percentage.
Phillips and Gianna Monzo led the Bobcat offense with four kills apiece. Phillips hit .364 without committing an attack error on 11 attempts, while Monzo hit .267. Buckles handed out a team-high 12 assists and shared the team lead with eight digs. Hannah Binns also collected eight digs and recorded Pitt-Greensburg's two service aces.
The result tested a Bobcat team that has already been forced to adapt early in the season.
"We're still overcoming injuries and some adversity, and that means people are being asked to step into different roles," Saville said. "Those moments aren't always easy, but they're helping us learn a lot about ourselves. The important thing is that we continue to respond, support each other and grow from every experience."
That response came just a few hours later in the final match of the weekend.
Sweet Briar
Pitt-Greensburg bounced back in impressive fashion against Sweet Briar, sweeping the Vixens, 25-17, 25-14 and 25-11, to secure the Bobcats' first victory of the season and improve to 1-4.
The opening set featured eight ties and three lead changes before Pitt-Greensburg created separation and earned a 25-17 victory. From there, the Bobcats took control, winning the second set 25-14 before closing the match with their most efficient offensive set of the weekend. Pitt-Greensburg hit .409 with 11 kills and only two errors in the third to complete the sweep.
"I was really proud of the way we responded," Saville said. "After a challenging first two matches, the team came back ready to compete. You could see the confidence growing, and it was exciting to watch them put things together and get that first win."
Stohon led a balanced Bobcat attack with eight kills while hitting .313. Jackie Shields put down six kills on 11 attempts with just one error for a .455 hitting percentage, while Sibblies added six kills. Fajbik recorded five kills without an error and hit .385, and Phillips contributed five kills.
Buckles directed the offense with 21 assists while adding three service aces and six digs. Martin contributed in several areas with two kills, three assists, three aces and a team-high eight digs. Pitt-Greensburg finished with nine service aces as a team.
The Bobcats also became more efficient as the match progressed, hitting .167 in the first set, .250 in the second and .409 in the third. They finished with 34 kills and a .269 hitting percentage while holding Sweet Briar to 16 kills and a -.062 hitting percentage.
"Getting our first win is definitely something we're excited about," Saville said. "But more than anything, this weekend showed the growth that's happening within our team. We're learning how to handle adversity, we're learning how to play together, and we're continuing to get better. This was a great way to finish our first overnight trip, and now we want to keep building from it."
The Bobcats return to their home gym on Tuesday as they play host to Waynesburg for 6PM start.
