Pitt Volleyball HC Praises QB Eli Holstein

Pitt Panthers volleyball head coach Dan Fisher praised quarterback Eli Holstein.

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) throws a pass against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball is No. 1 in the country, but they're not the only team on campus that is having a fantastic fall.

Men's soccer is off to a 9-1 start and also No. 1 in the country, making it the first time that two teams at Pitt hold a No. 1 ranking together. Women's soccer is 8-3-2 (W-L-D) overall, received votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll and rank No. 17 in RPI.

Football is also off to a 5-0 start, their best start since 1991. This also includes a 4-0, undefeated non-conference slate, their first ever since joining the Big East in 1991 after historically playing as an independent. They also made it back into the AP Poll with a No. 22 ranking this week.

One big change for the Panthers is redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein, who transferred in from Alabama after last season.

Holstein has completed 113-of-172 passes, 65.7%, for 1,567 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also having 48 carries for 265 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

He ranks third in the ACC with both passing yards per game and passing touchdowns and ranks No. 8 and tied for No. 5 in the FBS in those categories, repsectively. He is also fourth in the ACC and No. 15 in the FBS with a 167.52 passing efficiency.

Holstein played a big role in comebacks in back-to-back games vs. Power Four opponents. He led three touchdown drives and the last drive for the game-winning field goal on the road vs. Cincinnati in Week 2, after Pitt was down 27-6 midway through the fourth quarter.

He also led two touchdown drives late vs. rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl in Week 3 at Acrisure Stadium, to end a 10-point deficit with five minutes remaining, and win 38-34.

Volleyball head coach Dan Fisher gave credit to the various programs at Pitt having success in the fall. He also gave praise to Holstein, who he met with one of his summer camps.

“Well, I’d like to say we met Eli last summer when his sister was in our volleyball camp and so he was there watching his sister," Fisher said. "Really nice guy. Really nice to see the season he’s having. I think winning is contagious for sure and winning cultures matters.” 

Fisher is coming off of his 300th career win vs. Boston College on the road on Oct. 4. He also broke the record for most wins in program history with his 296th win against Marquette on Sept. 22, overtaking Shelton Collier, who had 295 victories from 1980-88.

Volleyball is 15-0 and 5-0 in the ACC, with five ranked wins, have dropped just one set this season. This includes three wins on the road against then ranked No. 10 Oregon in the season opener on Aug. 30, then ranked No. 23 USC on Sept. 11 and then ranked No. 13 Georgia Tech on Sept. 29, all sweeps.

It also features a sweep of rival No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 18 in front of a program record crowd of 11,800 at the Petersen Events Center, as well as their most recent win vs. No. 15 SMU at Fitzgerald Field House.

With volleyball and football excelling, along with both soccer programs, Pitt athletics is in a great place and the best seems yet to come.

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