(Caption and Credit for Photo: Pitt’s Olivia Babcock (center) reacts after a point in the third set on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at Petersen Events Center. (Andrew Palla | For TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Atlantic Coast Conference recently selected Pitt women’s college volleyball senior Olivia Babcock as its 2025-2026 Female Athlete of the Year.

This honor is the 37th edition of the Mary Garber Award. Babcock is the first volleyball player to earn this award and joins former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett as the only Panthers to receive it. 

Babcock’s junior season last season had a list of accolades, including setting a Pitt single-season program record with 646 kills and becoming the 2025 AVCA Division I Women’s National Player of the Year.