With NQS season fast approaching, both teams will be looking to post scores that can contribute toward their final rankings. Pittsburgh hasn’t qualified for regionals since 2018, but is currently in a position to break that streak. However, the Panthers have struggled in recent seasons to put up high scores early enough to allow for significant NQS improvement. Multiple teams below Pittsburgh in the rankings have higher season highs, so if the Panthers don’t start breaking 196 soon, they could find themselves in a similar situation again. Reaching that 196 mark will be the goal in Raleigh, especially since Pittsburgh ends the meet on its strongest event, beam.
N.C. State, meanwhile, hosted California last week and set a new season high. Unlike Pittsburgh, the Wolfpack has already broken 196 this season, solidifying its postseason outlook. N.C. State will look to continue its momentum and put up another potential counting score. Last week’s challenge came from hops on vault landings, but as the season progresses, sticking two or three of those vaults could provide a significant boost. Keep an eye on Ashley Knight, who had the highest score on floor last week and will be a key contributor on vault as well.
Rotation 1: N.C. State vault, Pittsburgh bars
Adler (NCSU): Good block off the table on her Yfull. Slight piking at the end and a small slide back. 9.8
Duke (PITT): Short first hs. Clean Maloney to pak. Great giant full handstand finish, but a step back on the double tuck. 9.725
Myers (NCSU): Piking throughout her Yfull, but much more distance. Her shoulders were a bit closed on the table. Hop back. 9.65
Bedminster (PITT): Good Maloney, a bit short on the bail. Slight leg separation in the double layout and a shuffle backwards. 9.725
Wright (NCSU): Very similar distance and piking in her Yfull. Hop back. My stream was fuzzy during the vault to comment on the block. 9.75
Madso (PITT): Legs glued on the toe hand to Maloney and came apart slightly on the bail. Falls on the toe hand on top of the bar as she couldn’t get all the way over. Step back on the toe front pike half dismount. 9.15
Zultevicz (NCSU): Off to the side of the table and lands to the side of the mat on her Yfull. Pike down and hop back. 9.725
Pratt (PITT): Great turnover on the Ray. Hits the bail to toe dhoot. Sticks the double layout. Legs glued together on that. 9.85
Negrete (NCSU): Croked on her Yfull block, does not have the pike down that the others did and just a small hop. 9.75
Todd (PITT): Close on the piked jaeger and has to bend her elbows. Clean toe hand to bail. Sticks the FTDT with pointed toes and knees togther throughout. 9.725
Knight (NCSU): Great block off the table on her front pike half. Sticks the landing. Center of the mat on the landing, and might have lacked a little distance. That was great through. 9.9
Lerro (PITT): Hit the Maloney to overshoot. Good finish on the half and sticks the double front. 9.775
After 1: N.C. State 48.925, Pittsburgh 48.800
The fall for Pittsburgh hurt that rotation, but three sticks to end the rotation even thoough there were mistakes within the routine is a strong way to end. N.C. State piked down its vaults more than neccessary which caused more deductions through both the form and hops back. The vault from Knight was stellar though, and is one to watch if you can only watch back certain routines.
Rotation 2: Pittsburgh vault, N.C. State bars
Lee (PITT): Square block on her Yfull with a step to the side. Had to pike down quite a bit. Not a lot of height. 9.65
Adomaites (NCSU): Legs gloued on the Maloney to pak. Muscles up the stalder and sticks the double tuck. 9.8
Pratt (PITT): A little closed shoulders on her Yfull. Similar pike down and a small hop. 9.7
Childs (NCSU): Falls on the jaeger. Too far from the bar and not a lot of height so it seems she released too early. Does it again and get the connection to the overshoot. Good giant full finish and a hop back on the double tuck. 9.225
Giunta (PITT): Not a lot of height on her Yfull. Whips the vault around and had a big height down, but sticks it. 9.675
Myers (NCSU): Legs glued on the Maloney to bail. The bail was a little short. Sticks the double tuck out of the giant full. Some feet on that. 9.775
Duke (PITT): Most square block and most open hips on her Yfull. Only a slight pike and a large step back.9.7
Volk (NCSU): Good height on the Ray to overshoot. Loses the toepoint at the peak of the Ray. Sticks her double layout dismount. 9.9
Bedminster (PITT): Comes in short on her Yfull. Good height, but tried to stick and stepped forward. 9.65
Hadrick (NCSU): Nice flair in the arms for the jaeger and connects to the overshoot. Great height on the FTDT and a tiny hop to the side. 9.825
Cesarone (PITT): Small step back on her Yfull. Good block and open hips throughout. 9.775
Harper (NCSU): Clean geinger. Legs glued on her bail. Snaps the legs together on these handstands. A small hop back on the double layout. 9.875
After 2: N.C. State 98.100, Pittsburgh 97.300
Pittsburgh does not have the body position in the vaults to score high enough to keep pace with N.C. State on bars. While the Wolfpack had a fall early in the lineup, the career high from Volk and key routine from Harper made that fall obsolete. With the season high bars score, N.C. State is on track for another strong home score.
Rotation 3: N.C. State beam, Pittsburgh floor
Adler (NCSU): Good hegiht on the loso series. Very solid. Precise full turn. Hit the switch to split quarter. Low chest on the side aerial. Slow connection with the cat leap to switch side. Hop back on the gainer full. 9.775
Lee (PITT): A little short of rotation on the front double full. Good rotation on the switch side to Popa. Low chest on the whip half to Rudi. Really theatrical routine. 9.575
Hall (NCSU): Solid loso series. Slight foot shift on the full turn. Better leg position on the cat leap in her jump combo than Adler. Smooth front aerial to beat. Sticks the gainer full. 9.85
Todd (PITT): Big slide back on the double tuck. Not the most height on the switch half to wolf full to wolf full. Short on the front tuck through to double tuck and lunges forward. 9.75
Knight (NCSU): Smooth full turn. Clean front walkover to front toss. Great height on that. Hit the jump combo. Wobble on the side aerial. Arm wave on the switch to split. Sticks the Rudi. 9.7
Cesarone (PITT): Controlled the front full to front layout. Legs glued throughout. Short on the double tuck and takes a step forward. Good leap rotation. Controls the double tuck. Was the first supposed to be piked?
Childs (NCSU): Clean full turn. Solid loso series with a beat jump at the end. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Lack of height on the cat jump and did and front toss connected to it that landed low. Stuck the gainer full. 9.8
My TV closed the ESPN app for no reason so…
Sorry, my TV literally isn’t allowing me to reopen ESPN so hold on as I deal with this.
Pratt (PITT): 9.5
Harper (NCSU): 9.8
And I am back!
Ewing (PITT): Floaty front layout out of the back 1.5. Interesting rotation on the jump combo. Out of bounds on the double pike with the front foot sliding back. 9.7
Negrete (NCSU): Lean on the full turn. Smooth front aerial to bhs. Strong cat leap to switch half to beat. Precise split jump. Small hop back on the double full. 9.825
Bedminster (PITT): Feet on the double tuck, but controlled landing. Clean switch side half to straddle Sushonova. Gets the punch wrong on the back 1.5 and has to tuck the front somersault and came in low. Clean final jump combo. 9.55
After 3: N.C. State 147.150, Pittsburgh 145.475
Pittsburgh had a lot of issues on floor so this will be a noncounting score for the Panthers. Pittsburgh will be looking to end the meet strong. N.C. State had a strong beam rotation, and although her score was dropped, Knight’s beam is worth a watch just for the acrobatic series. N.C. State is on pace to get its third straught 196 with a solid floor rotation.
Rotation 4: Pittsburgh beam, N.C. State floor
Duke (PITT): Fall on the loso series. Came back strong on the leap series. Really went out and not up on the back 1.5 dismount and took a step forward. 8.9
Adler (NCSU): Great height on the Rudi to straddle jump. Bounce on the landing. Didn’t get the switch side half all the way around before the straddle jump. Great height on the front full to front layout as well and lands it well. 9.825
Todd (PITT): Candle to start. Waiver on the full turn. Slightly short of split on the switch half to split. Clean loso series. Small hop on the front layout full dismount. 9.75
Hadrick (NCSU): Great amplitude on the Rudi out of the front layout. Good roation on the switch half to wolf 1.5. My stream froze and skipped the last tumbling pass. On replay it shows a good back 1.5 to front layout with the front layout being higher and controlled. 9.825
Lee (PITT): Clean full turn. Saves the loso series. Lands on one foot. Clean cat leap to switch side. Quick mover. Lean on the front toss. Tiny hop on the back 1.5. 9.675
Zultevicz (NCSU): Good control and height on the back 2.5 to front tuck. Bounce on the landing of the jump combo. Does another jump combo and ends it with a wolf 3/4s which was probably not intentional. Controls the double pike with a large lunge. 9.85
Simcox (PITT): Slow on the double wolf turn, but very clean. Smooth front aerial to bhs. Bend at the hips on the piked front toss. Clean switch to split leap. Sticks the bhs gainer full dismount. 9.8
Myers (NCSU): High double tuck, controlled landing. Great switch ring and switch half position and does not get the wolf full all the way around. Controlled the front layout to Rudi. The Wolfpack is getting some amplitude this rotation. 9.875
Pratt (PITT): Falls on the bhs bhs loso series. Hips got turned on the second bhs. Stiff legs in the switch to straddle connection. Arm wave on the full turn. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.025
Knight (NCSU): A little big of a step out of the front double full. Good height on the tour jete half to tour jete half. Rudi to back tuck because she was too high to do a back loso. 9.9
Madso (PITT): Solid bhs loso. Some knees. Great switch half to bhs swingdown. Floats that down. Smoothe full turn. Sticks the gainer off the end. 9.8
Negrete (NCSU): Hops into the lunge in the double pike. Floaty front full to front layout. Around on the switch half to split full. Hops back on the double tuck. 9.875
FINAL: N.C. State 196.475, Pittsburgh 193.550
A rough meet for Pittsburgh all around. This score was not going to be a keeper after that floor rotation anyway. N.C. State will be glad to add another 196+ score to its collection going into NQS season soon. Now I just want to combine the amplitude of the Wolfpack tumbling with the Panther’s cheoreography for the perfect floor lineup,
VT: Knight 9.9
UB: Volk 9.9
BB: Hall 9.85
FX: Knight 9.9
AA: Pratt 38.075
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