Kayla Lund rose up — as she had so many times during her Pitt volleyball career — and swung her arm in its signature windmill motion. She took aim at yet another kill, one she hoped would extend the Panthers’ stay in their first Final Four just a bit longer.

But Nebraska defenders Lauren Stivrins and Nicklin Hames thwarted the effort, blocking the ball and sending it straight into the floor and Lund’s feet. That was the final point in the Huskers’ 3-sets-to-1 victory over Pitt on Thursday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

It brought down the curtain on another stellar season for Pitt, which finished 30-4. It also brought down the curtain on the careers of Lund and fellow fifth-year senior Chinaza Ndee.

Together, they spearheaded the most successful era in program history and, arguably, in Pitt history. In their five seasons, the Panthers went 135-20.

“I think they’re two of the greatest Pitt players ever in any sport,” coach Dan Fisher said after Thursday’s match. “They’re both on the Varsity Walk already, which is unique. But they’ve set the tone for how we do business for the last five years. And I don’t know if I can put it into words. I love them both a lot, and we would not be here without them.”

Lund, who played through an upper-body injury through the late stages of the season, including the NCAA Tournament, finished with 1,676 career kills, fourth in program history. Ndee finished with 1,394 kills (eighth), 472 block assists (second) and 494 total blocks (third).

Lund made All-ACC first team four times, Ndee three. And Lund was named a first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the first in program history.

After the match, as a sea of red-clad Nebraska fans celebrated, Lund and Ndee shared a moment on the court.

“All we can really say is, ‘I love you,’ ” Ndee, a native of Texas, said. “We’ve put a lot of work in. But we’ve also just put a lot of work into our relationships. And I think in that moment, it’s just gratitude for that.”

Lund, too, expressed gratitude for her relationship with Ndee as well as for her entire Pitt experience.

“Just how life-changing it was,” said the California native. “When I was just up (in the stands) with my mom, she was like, ‘Who would have thought when you were 16 years old and committed to come here that this is where you would be?’ And so a lot of gratitude and just a whole lot of love.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)