PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 seeded Pitt volleyball team (30-4, 18-2 ACC) defeated No. 3 seed Purdue (27-7, 15-5 Big Ten) 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 Semifinal. Olivia Babcock was named the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player after leading the Panthers with 23 kills, four digs and two blocks.

With the win, Pitt became the first program to reach five consecutive National Semifinals since Texas accomplished the feat from 2012–16.

Both teams 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 emphatically 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.

Pitt will face the winner of No. 1 seed Nebraska and No. 3 seed Texas A&M in the National Semifinal on Thursday, Dec. 18, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The first semifinal match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, with Pitt’s match time to be determined following Sunday’s Regional Final contests.

NOTES

• Olivia Babcock was named the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player for the third straight year.
• Marina Pezelj recorded a career-high 14 kills and led the team with 12 digs.
• Brooke Mosher tied her season high with four blocks and finished one kill shy of her season best with four.
• Mallorie Meyer matched her career high with three service aces.

Pittsburgh Regional All-Tournament Team

Most Outstanding Player: Olivia Babcock (Pitt)

Brooke Mosher (Pitt)

Marina Pezelj (Pitt)

Kenna Wollard (Purdue)

Akasha Anderson (Purdue)

Ryan McAleer (Purdue)

Malaya Jones (SMU)

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) honored five graduates with the Chancellor’s Medallion at the Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The Chancellor’s Medallion is UAPB’s highest academic honor, awarded to the top graduate from each school based on cumulative GPA. The ceremony is available on UAPB TV.

Notably, the top three overall recipients, Ashley Robinson,  Kaiél Kimble, and Cornelia D. Watts, who earned the highest GPAs among all these graduates, were also Golden Lion student-athletes from the UAPB Track & Field program, exemplifying excellence both in the classroom and in competition. Among them, Kaiél Kimble reached another milestone: completing the UAPB ROTC program and being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the United States Army.

“These students represent the very best of UAPB—academic excellence, leadership, perseverance, and service,” said UAPB Chancellor Anthony Graham, Ph.D.  “Their achievements reflect the strength of our academic programs and the dedication of our faculty and staff.”

Fall 2025 UAPB Chancellor’s Medallion Recipients

School of Arts and Sciences
Ashley Robinson

• Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida
• High School: Herbert Morrison Technical High School & Seminole Ridge Community High School
• Major: Criminal Justice
• GPA: 3.922
• Career Goal: Robinson will join the United States Air Force to begin her career in criminal justice. Her long-term goals include federal investigative work as a crime scene investigator or serving with the FBI or DEA.

School of Education
Kaiél Kimble

• Hometown: Humble, Texas
• High School: Atascocita High School
• Major: Health & Kinesiology, Minor in Military Science
• GPA: 3.789
• Career Goal: Following graduation, Kimble was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the U.S. Army after completing the ROTC program at UAPB. She plans to serve as an Army officer while pursuing her long-term goal of coaching collegiate track and field.

School of Business and Management
Cornelia D. Watts

• Hometown: Houston, Texas
• High School: Klein Forest High School
• Major: Business Administration, Concentration in International Business
• GPA: 3.710
• Career Goal: After completing her Track & Field season, Watts will begin her professional career with Amazon as an Area Manager and hopes to explore global opportunities.

School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences
Messhirya Harris

• Hometown: Marianna, Arkansas
• High School: Marianna High School
• Major: Agriculture/Agricultural Business
• GPA: 3.473
• Career Goal: Harris will complete esthetician school and begin her career as a full-time esthetician, with plans to further her education in nursing and specialize in advanced aesthetic and corrective procedures.

Division of University College
Kyla M. Boatner

• Hometown: Dermott, Arkansas
• High School: Dermott High School
• Major: General Studies
• GPA: 3.194
• Career Goal: Boatner plans to complete the UAPB Master of Arts in Teaching program and earn certification as an elementary school teacher.

UAPB congratulates the Fall 2025 graduates and applauds the Chancellor’s Medallion recipients for their academic achievements, leadership, and commitment to excellence.

RESULTS

NEW HAVEN, Conn. | The Farmingdale State College indoor track and field teams competed Friday and Saturday at the Art Kadish Elm City Challenge, with the Rams’ men’s squad placing fourth (49 points) behind a winning, school-record performance in the heptathlon by freshman Ethan Zacarolli (Hillsdale, N.Y.), while the women’s contingent tied for 10th place.

Zacarolli won the men’s heptathlon with a score of 4,550 points, which topped the previous FSC record of 4,038 points set by Nicholas Lourenco in 2023. 

Also pacing the Rams’ efforts were freshmen jumpers Jaden Cesar (Queens, N.Y.) and Christian Destine (Rosedale, N.Y.). Cesar’s leap of 13.48 meters (44-2.75) in the triple jump was good for third place, while Destine’s long jump of 6.69m (21-11.5) placed fifth.

On the women’s side, junior pole vaulter Mishell Delgado (Bronx, N.Y.) earned fifth-place points for Farmingdale State, clearing a height of 2.50 meters (8-0.25) on her second jump of the afternoon.

Farmingdale State is back in action during the new year on Saturday, January 10, when it travels to Middletown, Conn., for the Wesleyan Winter Invitational.