IN THE HOURS before a volleyball game at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House, Olivia Babcock sits near her locker, content to reside on the outskirts of activity unfolding around her.

Several teammates jockey for space in front of the locker room mirror as they prepare their ponytails to withstand the fast-paced and high-flying action. Libero Emery Dupes gets her blonde hair braided by redshirt sophomore Haiti Tautua'a. And above the chatter, "music czar" Dalia Vîrlan fills the room with the Panthers' hype-up playlist.

Babcock, Pitt's star right-side hitter, has already put in the work. Her mahogany-hued braids are pulled back into a ponytail that falls between her shoulder blades. The style is secured with a royal blue hair band that matches her uniform. She always takes care to do her hair

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