Two of America’s brightest athletic talents shared the same spotlight — and the same frame — at the 2026 ESPY Awards.
On July 16, the official Pitt Volleyball account posted a set of photos with a simple, perfect caption: “The stars were out last night 🤩.” In the images: three-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin standing alongside Pitt’s own Olivia Babcock, the dominant outside hitter who has become one of the most recognizable faces in college volleyball.
The moment captured more than just a red-carpet encounter. Shiffrin arrived in New York as a nominee for Best Athlete – Women’s Sports after a landmark season that included Olympic slalom gold in Milano Cortina and another record-breaking World Cup campaign. Babcock, a two-time ESPY nominee for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports, represented the blue and gold after another season of rewriting Pitt’s record books and leading the Panthers deep into the NCAA Tournament.
Fans immediately locked onto the pairing. Comments poured in calling the duo “another level of awesome,” with several zeroing in on Shiffrin’s elegant red-carpet look and the easy chemistry between the two athletes. For a program that has turned Pitt Volleyball into a national powerhouse and an alpine skier who has spent more than a decade at the absolute pinnacle of her sport, the shared moment felt like a rare and natural alignment of excellence.
Both women have built careers on consistency under pressure. Shiffrin continues to chase perfection measured in thousandths of a second. Babcock has established herself as one of the most complete and productive players in the country, stacking awards while elevating everyone around her. Seeing them together at the ESPYs underscored a quiet truth: greatness tends to recognize greatness, even when the sports look nothing alike.
Pitt Volleyball leaned fully into the night, also posting “Brought the blue & gold to the ESPYs” and celebrating Babcock’s presence on the live ABC broadcast. The message was unmistakable — the Panthers belong on stages this big, and their star is keeping company with the very best in American sports.
In a night filled with awards, highlight packages, and celebrity, one of the purest images belonged to two athletes who simply showed up as themselves: accomplished, focused, and happy to share the floor. The stars really were out.
