Olivia Babcock

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt women’s volleyball team is returning to the Final Four.

The No. 1-seeded Lady Panthers (30-4) defeated No. 3 seed Purdue in four sets Saturday night at the Petersen Events Center, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, to advance to its fifth straight national semifinals.

Pitt will meet Texas A&M, which stunned unbeaten top-seeded Nebraska, 3-2, on Sunday, in the first semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Wisconsin and Kentucky will face off in the other semifinal at 9 p.m. with the two winners meeting next Sunday for the championship.

Pitt junior Olivia Babcock was named the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player after leading the Panthers with 23 kills, four digs and two blocks against Purdue.

“I just think the fact that we’re able to just keep doing this just shows how strong of a team we are consistently,” Babcock said. “I just feel like we put in so much work this season, so I feel like this season it means a lot more.”

Pitt became the first program to reach five consecutive national semifinals since Texas accomplished the feat from 2012-16. Pitt lost in the semifinal round each of the last four years.

Both Pitt and Purdue traded points throughout the opening set before Pitt called a timeout trailing 19-18. A pair of Panther kills and a service ace from Mallorie Meyer swung the momentum and forced a Purdue timeout.

The Boilermakers used their final timeout following another Babcock kill at 23-20, but a termination from Marina Pezelj and Babcock’s ninth kill of the set sealed the 25-22 win.

Pitt jumped out to an early 13-9 advantage in the second set before Purdue answered with a 5-0 run, prompting a Panther timeout. Purdue later used two timeouts as Pitt maintained a 19-15 lead

The Boilermakers closed within three at 23-20, but a kill from freshman Abbey Emch and a Purdue hitting error secured the 25-21 set win for Pitt.

Purdue gained early momentum in the third set and forced Pitt to take a timeout trailing 10-8. The Panthers stayed within striking distance, causing Purdue to call a timeout at 17-16, but the Boilermakers closed out the set, 25-22, to extend the match.

Pitt responded in the fourth set, building an early 9-5 lead behind tough serving from Brooke Mosher and Pezelj, which led to a Purdue timeout. Bre Kelley and Babcock combined for four kills to force the Boilermakers to use their final timeout at 16-11. The Panthers pulled away down the stretch to claim the 25-17 set and the match, 3-1.

“(Purdue) pushed us to our limit,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “They just really have a tough offense to stop, and I don’t think we always were able to do that. We were just better offensively. Clearly, (Babcock) carried us for a while. Brooke had a great match. When Liv wasn’t carrying us, Blaire (Bayless) and Marina stepped up big. Mostly, just thought we were pretty dominant offensively.”

Nebraska upset

LINCOLN, Neb. — Top-seeded Nebraska lost its first match of the season to Texas A&M in the regional finals on Sunday, 25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 35-37, 15-13.

The Aggies, a third seed, are in the Final Four for the first time ever.

Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky led the way for Texas A&M with 25 and 24 kills, respectively.

The Aggies needed a reverse sweep to beat Louisville on Friday night.