Hello from Fitzgerald Field House for Pitt’s final regular season home meet! Pitt and WVU have a long-standing rivalry, known as the Backyard Brawl, and this is the second of three meetings between these two teams this season. Last time out, WVU defeated Pitt by a score of 195.90 to 194.175.
This meet is important for WVU, as it sits right on the regionals qualifying bubble. This is the Mountaineers’ final away meet of the season, so they will want to put up a big number here to avoid counting a low 195 in its NQS. They have yet to score into the 196s this year, which most of the other regionals bubble teams have already done, so there’s still a bit of work to do to qualify to regionals.
For Pitt, qualifying is likely off the table, but an upset win over their biggest rival would be huge for the Panthers. It’s been an up-and-down season for them this year, but it hasn’t been without some highlights. Sixth-year Katrina Coca competed in the all around last week for the first time in her career.
Rotation 1
Pitt: Vault, WVU: Bars
Beckwith (Pitt): y tucked full with a step back – 9.675
Abarca (WVU): beautiful gienger, bail hs, stuck double back – 9.875
Miller (Pitt): y full with a hop back – 9.725
Combs (WVU): maloney to pak good, short on final hs, step on double back dismount – 9.825
Coca (Pitt): y tucked full with a small hop – 9.7
Hornung (WVU): good jaeger, bail hs, step on double back dismount – 9.825
Ceccarini (Pitt): y full with a step back – 9.7
Ka. Yancey (WVU): good jaeger to shoot over, short on final hs, step on dismount – 9.775
Liszewski (Pitt): y full with a small hop – 9.75
Ki. Yancey (WVU): maloney to pak good, stuck DLO – 9.775
Ward (Pitt): huge y full with a small hop back. Glad to see her back! – 9.775
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): good piked jeger to shootover, nailed the blind full, double back with a step – 9.775
After 1: Pitt: 48.650, WVU: 49.075
Good start for both teams! Glad to see Ward back and Pitt having a lineup of six again. WVU on 196 pace. It’s early, but it’s where they want to be.
Rotation 2
Pitt: Bars, WVU: Vault
Ki. Yancey (WVU): y full with the tiniest hop – 9.775
Macy (Pitt): piked jaeger, good bail hs, stuck DLO – 9.85
Hornung (WVU): y full, tries hard to stick but lifts her leg
Beckwith (Pitt): big gienger, pak salto, tiny hop on dismount – 9.725
Ka. Yancey (WVU): y full with a step back – 9.7
Kline (Pitt): big gienger to shootover, step on dismount – good routine but doesn’t start from a 10 – 9.375
Lewis (WVU): huge y full and sticks it – 9.85
Miller (Pitt): good piked jaeger, bail hs, nails final hs, stuck FTDT – 9.9
Pierson (WVU): big y full with a small hop back – 9.825
Coca (Pitt): jaeger, nails bail hs, small hop on FTDT – 9.85
Collins (WVU): just a y layout with a step back – 9.525
After 2: Pitt: 97.350, WVU: 97.875
Good rotation from both teams. Waldron and Linnen missing tonight, so WVU not full strength on vault but pulled out a solid rotation. Career high from Miller on bars!
Rotation 3
Pitt: Beam, WVU: Floor
Coca (Pitt): standing loso, slight check on series, full turn, stuck 1.5 dismount – 9.825
Ki. Yancey (WVU): double pike, leap series good, 1.5 to front lay to stag jump, double back to close – 9.825
Ceccarini (Pitt): full turn, bhs loso, good leap series, slight check on front toss, nearly stuck gainer pike – 9.825
Hornung (WVU): double pike to open, 1.5 to front lay, good leaps, 1.5 to front pike to close – 9.825
Macy (Pitt): bhs loso, wobble on side aerial, leaps good, big step on dismount – 9.5
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): double back to open, leaps good, front full front full to front half – almost slips but saves it, double pike to close – 9.75
Miller (Pitt): leap to bhs, bhs loso, full turn, cat leap to front aerial, tiny hop on dismount – 9.8
Lewis (WVU): rudi to loso to open, leaps good, double back to close – slightly short and step forward – 9.8
Weiss (Pitt): official beam debut, full turn, bhs loso, good leaps, wobble on front aerial and has to touch the beam, hop on gainer pike – 9.325
Combs (WVU): punch front through to double pike, good leaps, double back to close – 9.85
Beckwith (Pitt): full turn, bhs loso, slight check on leap, good leaps series, stuck dismount – 9.825
Pierson (WVU): DLO to open, fron lay front lay front full, good leaps to shushanova, double back to close – 9.85
Robatin (Pitt): exh – full turn, front toss to bhs – wobble, cat leap to liukin – wobble, step on dismount – 9.575
After 3: Pitt: 146.150, WVU: 147.025
Another good floor rotation from WVU! I really like what Zaakira Muhammad has done with it this year. Pitt solid on beam, but had to count that 9.5.
Rotation 4
Pitt: Floor, WVU: Beam
Holmes-Hackerd (WVU): full turn, front aerial to back tuck, good leaps, stuck dismount – 9.775
Macy (Pitt): leg up double turnrudi to stag jump, leap series good, 1.5 to front lay to close – 9.8
Hornung (WVU): wolf turn, cat leap to front aerial bhs, leaps good, small hop on 1.5 dismount – 9.8
Beckwith (Pitt): double back to open, back 1.5 to front layout – 9.775
Pierson (WVU): full turn, front toss to wolf jump, bhs layout, good split jump to back tuck, stuck dismount – 9.825
Coca (Pitt): rudi to stag jump to open, 1.5 to front lay – 9.775
Asper (WVU): bhs loso loso, leg up full turn, falls on leap series, hop on dismount – 9.125
Liszewski (Pitt): double back to open, wolf full, leaps good, back 1.5 to front layout
Abarca (WVU): full turn, side aerial, slight check on side somi, falls on bhs loso – WVU counting a falls, stuck dismount – 9.125
Miller (Pitt): double back to open, front lay to front full, double pike to close – 9.825
Handono (WVU): falls on bhs loso, full turn, front toss wobble – missed connection to wolf jump, stuck dismount – 8.725
Ceccarini (Pitt): good first pass, good leaps, slightly short on double back and has to step forward
Final: Pitt: 195.100, WVU: 194.675
Well…that was quite the crazy turn of events. WVU has to count two falls on beam for an unusable road score for NQS, and Pitt takes the victory. The Mountaineers are going to have to count a 195.300, which makes qualifying to regionals a lot more difficult. Pitt’s going to be happy about that Backyard brawl win. The series is tied, and these two teams will meet again on Sunday.
Vault: Lewis 9.850
Bars: Miller 9.900
Beam: Coca, Ceccarini, Beckwith, Pierson 9.825
Floor: Combs, Pierson 9.850
All around: Miller 39.250
Live Blog by Mary Emma Burton
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