Pitt Volleyball Alums Start American Pro Seasons

Pitt Panthers almuni start their American pro volleyball seasons.

Pitt Volleyball Outside Hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez / Courtesy of Pitt Athletic

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have a number of great alumni who have continued on to their professional careers, with many staying nearby for the upcoming seasons.

The United States, which recently struggled to support professional women's volleyball, now has two leagues that begin their season this week in the Pro Voleyball Federation (PVF) and League One Volleyball (LOVB).

PVF and LOVB differ in structure, as there are individual owners of teams in PVF, whereas the LOVB owns all its teams. LOVB has more of the top players, landing Olympians and National team talent, and PVF has focused on getting more of the talent from the college ranks.

Two former Pitt players will participate in the inaugural season for LOVB in middle blocker Serena Gray (2021-22), with LOVB Salt Lake City and setter Rachel Fairbanks (2021-24) with LOVB Atlanta.

Gray spent her first three seasons with Penn State before transferring to Pitt, leading the team in hitting percentage, solo blocks and block assists in both seasons with the program. She also helped Pitt make their first two Final Fours, earning an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention in 2021 and First Team All-American honors in 2022.

She played in France with Béziers Volley following her time with the Panthers and also has played for Team USA, winning the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six.

Fairbanks made four straight Final Fours with Pitt, won three straight ACC titles to finish out her career and had a 123-15 record (.891) with the team.

She earned an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention in 2022 and First Team All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024. Her 10.67 assists per set ranks fourth best in a career Panthers history in the 25-point scoring era (2008-present) and she helped Pitt hit a nation best .332 in 2024.

Fairbanks was also a LOVB student-athlete, where they serve as ambassadors for the league and have a good chance of signing with a team following graduation. Pitt sophomore and AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock is also a LOVB student-athlete.

Pitt will have five players represent four different teams in the PVF, which is in its second season.

Two players will compete with Indy Ignite, who start their first season as a team in 2025, in outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh (2021) and middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo (2019-23).

Member-Meneh spent her first four seasons with Missouri before transferring to Pitt. She led the team 3.22 points per set, second with 328 kills, 423.5 points and 262 digs and third with 30 service aces, earning AVCA Second Team All-American honors and helping Pitt make their first Final Four.

Nwokolo spent five seasons with the team, making four straight Elite Eights and three Final Fours. She earned an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention in 2020 and her .392 career hitting percentage is best in Panthers history.

Member-Meneh played in Italy for two seasons before coming to the PVF with the Atlanta Vibe, helping them earn the best record in the regular season and the semifinals of the Playoffs. The Vibe drafted Nwokolo, but waived her and she spent time on two other clubs, but didn't play.

Outside hitter Kayla Lund (2017-21) is with the San Diego Mojo for this season. The Columbus Fury, who made her one of their initial signings, waived her before the 2024 season started.

Lund is one of the best players in Pitt history, top 10 with career kills, digs and service aces. She also earned four All-American honors, including First Team in 2021, and won ACC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020.

Middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk (2016-19) will start her second season with the Vegas Thrill.

She finished her Pitt career with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the first four under head coach Dan Fisher, and three straight ACC Titles. She also ranks top 10 in career hitting percentage, block assists and total blocks and earned back-to-back AVCA All-America Honorable Mentions in 2018 and 2019.

Former Pitt outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez is starting her first season with the Omaha Supernovas, after spending the past six seasons with the program (2019-24).

Vazquez Gomez made five straight Elite Eights and four straight Final Fours with the Panthers. She also earned AVCA Second Team All-American honors in 2022 and was a three-time All-ACC honoree.

She is also one of eight players in the 1,000 kill and 1,000 dig club in Pitt history, along with Lund.

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