The rematch belonged to Pittsburgh. Four days after winning on the road, No. 6 SMU lost 3–0 to the No. 2 Panthers at Moody Coliseum on Sunday, October 11, taking its first ACC defeat of the season.
Pitt won 25–12, 25–21 and 26–24 before 4,564 spectators, the third-largest home volleyball crowd in SMU history, according to the university’s match report. The teams split their two meetings, each winning away from home.
SMU made the score progressively tighter but could not extend the match. Pittsburgh hit .367 to the Mustangs’ .200 and finished with a 6–2 advantage in service aces. Those numbers help explain why a close third set did not erase the visitors’ control of the afternoon.
The Mustangs stand 13–3 overall and 5–1 in conference play. Their next chance to respond comes at Moody on Friday, October 16, against Miami. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central, with ACCNX coverage.
