Pitt volleyball | Olivia Babcock repeats as AVCA national player of the year

Story byThe Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. Fri, December 19, 2025 at 11:38 PM UTC·1 min readKANSAS CITY – The American Volleyball Coaches Association named Pitt junior right-side hitter Olivia Babcock as the 2025 national player of the year for the second straight season. Babcock becomes just the fifth player in the award's history to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBabcock once again swept the sport's top individual accolades in 2025, earning AVCA national, ACC and East Coast Region player of the year honors. She is the only player in Pitt history to be named a three-time AVCA first-team All-American and was recently selected as the Pittsburgh Regional most outstanding player after leading the Panthers to their fifth consecutive national semifinal. Earlier this season, Babcock set the program's single match kills record with 45 against North Carolina. She is the only player in NCAA volleyball this year to reach that mark and the first since Cincinnati's Jordan Thompson recorded 50 kills against Connecticut Nov.