Happy Saturday from Greensboro! Postseason action is officially underway, and today brings us two exciting sessions of the ACC Championships. In the afternoon session, No. 5 seed Clemson and No. 6 seed Pittsburgh will go head-to-head in a battle for conference positioning.
Clemson closed out the regular season on a high note, securing a Senior Night victory by upsetting No. 25 Penn State. The Tigers posted their third-highest score of the season, highlighted by a season-best beam performance. Redshirt junior Brie Clark earned her second consecutive All-ACC honor, this time on floor. Pittsburgh also enters with momentum, having recorded the second-highest score in program history last weekend, along with season highs on vault, beam, and floor.
At last year’s ACC Championships, Clemson finished second with Pittsburgh close behind in third. With both teams peaking at the right time, this early-session showdown could set the tone for a thrilling day of competition.
Rotation 1: Clemson VT, Pittsburgh UB
Kuhl (CU): Yurchenko full, solid. 9.775
Bedminster (Pitt): Maloney to bail to handstand, solid. Nice swing throughout. Double layout, stuck cold. 9.825
Holman (CU): Yurchenko full, small step. 9.875
Ewing (Pitt): Solid piked Tkatchev. Clear hip handstand, pretty. Nice bail to low bar. 9.75
Minner (CU): Tucked Yurchenko 1.5, drills it. 9.875
Pratt (Pitt): Pretty Ray to open. Nice bail to handstand. Double layout, pretty in the air but takes a small hop. 9.85
Walsh (CU): Beautiful Yurchenko 1.5, looks like she stuck it but from my angle it looks like she took a tiny shuffle. 9.9
Madso (Pitt): Maloney to bail to handstand, solid. Toe-on to toe-on pike half, gets the stick. 9.85
Jackson (CU): Yurchenko 1.5, underrotates it a little and steps to the side. 9.7
Chiu (Pitt): Beautiful Jaeger to bail to handstand. Small break in body shape on her last cast handstand. Double back, lands a little low and steps forward. 9.75
Arnold (CU): Yurchenko 1.5, misses her block and sits it down. 9.15
Todd (Pitt): Huge piked Jaeger. Nice bail to handstand. Full-twisting double back, stuck cold. 9.9
After One: Pittsburgh 49.175, Clemson 49.000
Rotation 2: Pittsburgh VT, Clemson UB
Giunta (Pitt): Solid Yurchenko full, almost gets the stick.
Berry (CU): Maloney to Pak, a bit of leg separation in the flight. Handstand a little short in her last pirouette. Double layout, stuck.
Pratt (Pitt): Yurchenko full, takes a slight slide backwards.
Jackson (CU): Solid Jaeger to bail. A little short in last handstand. Full-twisting double back, takes a hop.
Chiu (Pitt): Yurchenko full, almost gets the stick.
Rutherford (CU): Huge Ray to bail. Beautiful swing throughout. Double layout, sticks it.
Duke (Pitt): Yurchenko full, small step backward.
H. Clark (CU): Pretty piked Jaeger to bail. Love how aggressive her swing is. Nice double layout, small step backwards.
Bedminster (Pitt): Yurchenko full, takes a large step backwards.
Kuhl (CU): Huge release right to bail. Great swing throughout. Pretty double layout, fights for the stick but takes a tiny step.
Cesarone (Pitt): Yurchenko full, solid.
Bryant (CU): Short on her first handstand. Nice clear hip handstand. Lets go a bit early on her Tkatchev and comes off. Looks like the Tigers are going to forgo this routine since the score would be dropped anyway…haven’t seen that before.
After Two: Pittsburgh 98.150, Clemson 98.000
Rotation 3: Clemson BB, Pittsburgh FX
H. Clark (CU): Front toss, lands a little off and comes off the beam. Front aerial to bhs, slight balance check. Switch leap to split jump, solid. Ro double full, little leg separation but gets the stick. 8.85
Cesarone (Pitt): Front full to front layout, great control. Huge double pike, takes a bit of large step in her lunge. Switch side straddle half, nice extension. Ro bhs double back, nice finish. 9.8
B. Clark (CU): Standing front tuck to beat jump, love the amplitude. Bhs loso, ever so solid. Huge straddle jump to straddle 1/4. Sky high Rudi to dismount, stuck. 9.75
Pratt (Pitt): Front layout to front double full, I love this pass so much. Tour jete half to Popa, great extension. Ro 1.5 to Rudi, nice control. 9.875
Walsh (CU): Nice full turn. Bhs loso, makes it look easy. Cat leap to front toss to beat jump, solid. Switch leap to tuck half, nice amplitude. Ro 1.5, almost gets the stick. 9.775
Ewing (Pitt): Pretty ro 1.5 to front layout. Switch half to straddle half, great height. Huge double back, nice landing. 9.8
Church (CU): Pretty full turn. Bhs loso, solid. Switch leap to split jump, beautiful lines. Side aerial to split jump, makes it look easy. Ro 1.5, hops forward. 9.775
Lee (Pitt): Fhs double full, a little too much sauce and fights to not run out of it. Great extension in her leaps. Ro half to Rudi, great control. 9.8
Kuhl (CU): Bhs bhs loso, solid as always. I LOVE a triple series ahhh. Switch leap to tuck 3/4, nice amplitude. Solid full turn. Ro tucked 1.5, gets the stick. 9.7
Todd (Pitt): Huge double pike to open. Switch half to split half to wolf full, great amplitude. Front through to double back, a little too much momentum and goes out of bounds. 9.65
McCright (CU): Pretty bhs loso. Nice full turn. Beautiful leap to tuck half. Side aerial to split jump, great extension. Side gainer full, stuck cold. The beam queen has returned!! 9.875
Bedminster (Pitt): Huge full-in to open. Popa to shushanova, great amplitude. Ro 1.5 to front layout, the strength she had to save that landing wow. 9.5
After Three: Pittsburgh 147.075, Clemson 146.875
Rotation 4: Pittsburgh BB, Clemson FX
Lee (Pitt): Bhs loso, solid. Cat leap to straddle 1/4, nice amplitude. Front toss, slight balance check. Ro 1.5, stuck. 9.725
Minner (CU): Front layout to double full, nice control. Switch half to full-twisting shushunova, great amplitude. Fhs Rudi to back loso, so pretty. 9.9
Todd (Pitt): Switch half to split jump, nice control. Bhs loso, slight balance check. Nice full turn. Ro 1.5, small hop. 9.675
Arnold (CU): Huge full-in to open. Switch half to wolf full, great amplitude and extension. Ro bhs 2.5 to punch front, great control. Pretty switch leap into her final dance. 9.825
Garvey (Pitt): Solid full turn. Bhs loso, nice control. Switch leap switch leap pike jump, great extension. Punch front, beautifully done. Sticks the dismount. 9.85
Holman (CU): Beautiful front double full. Switch side to straddle half, nice amplitude. Solid tuck full. Fhs Rudi to back loso, shortens her lunge to keep her back foot in bounds but solid. 9.85
Madso (Pitt): Solid bhs loso. Switch half to bhs swing-down, great control. Nice full turn. Pretty lines in her dance. Tucked gainer full, stuck. 9.725
Jackson (CU): Huge full-in to open. Switch half to wolf full, nice height. Front through to double back, slides back in her lunge a little but great amplitude. 9.825
Simcox (Pitt): Nicely controlled double wolf turn. Front aerial, slight balance check and breaks her connection. Tries it two more times and completes the series to bhs. Switch leap to split leap, pretty extension. Bhs side gainer full, stuck. 9.425
Clark (CU): Sky high double layout to start. Switch half to Popa, great amplitude. Front layout front full front tuck, great control. 9.9
Cesarone (Pitt): Front toss to back tuck, I love the creativity with this series. Solid full turn. Great extension in her leaps. Gets the sixth consecutive stick for the Panthers. 9.75
Walsh (CU): Beautiful front double full, dances right out of it. Love the back loso in her dance. Switch half to straddle full, nice height. Front layout to front full to front tuck, great control. 9.825
FINAL: Clemson 196.175, Pittsburgh 195.800
READ THIS NEXT: Bubble Watch: March 19
Live blog by Jessica Brock
What are the thoughts on the scoring? The ACC continues to have the most biased and inconsistent scoring. Please tell me if I’m wrong.