How to Watch: No. 10 Oregon Ducks Volleyball Faces No. 4 Pitt in Oregon Invitational

The Oregon Ducks volleyball team kicks off their season tonight against the Pittsburgh Panthers in a highly anticipated top 10 matchup. The Ducks are ranked No. 10 in the AVCA poll, while the Panthers come in at No. 4. Oregon has a 2-1 record under head coach Matt Ulmer when opening against ranked teams.

Oregon outside hitter Daley McClellan passes the ball as the No. 2 Oregon Ducks open NCAA Tournament play against Southeastern Louisiana Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Eugene- Both Oregon volleyball and football begin their 2024 seasons this weekend, starting with volleyball on Friday. The No. 10 ranked Oregon Ducks will face off against the No. 4 Pittsburgh Panthers in a Top Ten matchup. First serve will be at 7:30 p.m. PT at home in Matthew Knight Arena. 

"Having Pittsburgh here first is great," Oregon coach Matt Ulmer said. "It's great for our crowd, great for our sport, and it's really good for us. We're going to find out what we're good at and what we're not good at quickly." 

Oregon has a history of success when opening the season against top-25 ranked programs. The Ducks will look to add another win to their record on Friday against the Panthers. 

Oregon Head Coach Matt Ulmer is seen during a time out in the second set of the NCAA Regional Volleyball Finals match against Wisconsin on Saturday December 9, 2023 at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pitt is fresh off three consecutive Final Four appearances, back-to-back ACC championships, and eight consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Pittsburgh is also the only team in the past three years to make appearances in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Final Fours. 

This is not the first time Oregon has played Pittsburgh. The Ducks and Panthers have faced off four times, splitting the all-time record 2-2. Oregon most recently played Pittsburgh in September of last year, when the Ducks defeated the Panthers in a match that went to all five sets. 

The Panthers return ten athletes from the 2023 season, including Rachel Fairbanks, Olivia Babcock, Torrey Stafford, Emmy Klika, and Valeria Vazquez Gomez, who have all earned All-American, All-ACC, and All-Region awards in their careers and will take the court Saturday against the Ducks. 

Pittsburgh had a highly successful season last year, making a competitive run in the NCAA tournament where their national championship dreams came to an end in the Final Four. Only one of Pittsburgh's starters is not returning for the 2024 season. 

Dec 15, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, US; Pittsburg Panthers Chiamaka Nwokolo (20) waits on a serve against the Louisville Cardinals in the semi-final match at CHI Health Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

On the other hand, Oregon returns just two players from its previous season in Mimi Colyer and Daley McClellan. The Ducks have a total of eight newcomers, split between incoming freshmen and veterans from the transfer portal. 

"We're just trying to find some answers with where people are going to go so we can plug up some of the holes," Ulmer said after Oregon's annual Green-Yellow scrimmage. 

Oregon had the opportunity to try out a few different rotations last week in an exhibition match against the Oregon State Beavers, however, the Ducks struggled to find consistency throughout the match, resulting in a loss. This loss will not count toward either team's record. 

The Ducks' season opener on Friday is part of the Oregon Invitational, a three-team event that features the Ducks, Pittsburgh, and Long Beach State. 

How to Watch The Oregon Invitational:

Game	Date	Time	Network
Oregon vs Pitt	Friday, Aug. 30	7:30 p.m. PT	BTN
Pitt vs Long Beach State	Saturday, Aug. 31	4:00 p.m. PT	N/A
Oregon vs Long beach State	Sunday, Sep. 1	12:00 p.m. PT	B1G+

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