Pitt Volleyball Changing Location for NCAA Tournament Matches

Pitt Panthers volleyball is changing locations for NCAA Tournament Matches.

Pitt Volleyball Hosts Louisville at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 18, 2023 /

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host through to the Final Four (as long as they win), but the location for where they'll play is changing.

The Panthers normally hosts the first two rounds at the Petersen Events Center and then plays both the Third Round (Sweet 16) and Quarterfinals (Elite Eight) matches at Fitzgerald Field House. This was the protocol the first time the Panthers earned a top four seed in 2021 as well as for the 2023 season.

Pitt swept Kansas in the Sweet 16 and defeated No. 6 Purdue (No. 2 seed) in the Elite Eight to make their first Final Four in 2021. They swept No. 4 Washington State in the Sweet 16 and reverse swept rival No. 2 Louisville in 2023 to make their third straight Final Four.

The reasoning for playing the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight at Fitzgerald Field House is that men's/women's basketball games generally occur around December at home and the Petersen Events Center isn't available around that time.

One of the changes this year is that the Sweet 16 will take place on both the Thursday and Friday, Dec. 12-13, instead of just the Thursday, and the Elite Eight is both the Saturday and the Sunday, Dec. 14-15, instead of just the Saturday.

This will allow for spread out times for each match, four each day for the Sweet 16 and two each for the Elite Eight. It will also allow ESPN to broadcast the matches to more people and not overlap them like they did in previous years.

Pitt head coach Dan Fisher confirmed that if Pitt does make it to the Sweet 16, that those two games and the Elite Eight matchup will also take place at the Petersen Events Center and not Fitzgerald Field House.

"Ideally, we'd like to have big crowds, but it doesn't always work out with the basketball schedule and so, just grateful that our administration made it happen and that it worked out this year," Fisher said."

Fisher is also excited to have bigger crowds for those matches than in previous years. Fitzgerald Field House, sold out, has about 2,877 people, which attended the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matches last season.

The Petersen Events Center seats 12.508 fans and Pitt hosted a program record 11,800 fans for their sweep of then ranked No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 18. They also had 11,309 fans in the five-set victory over then ranked No. 4 Louisville on Oct. 25.

Fisher is excited for the great attendance, but is also hoping that the first two rounds see a good turnout as well, as they are still difficult matches to play in.

"That's what I'm probably most excited about," Fisher said.. "Assuming we advance, I'm pretty sure the attendance will keep getting better, but I'd really love to see first and second round well-attended and I would remind people, it's hard to advance against anyone.

"I know that sounds, I don't know how that sounds, but just getting to a Sweet 16 is really hard, so we expect these to be good matches."

Pitt men's basketball faces Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m. and women's basketball takes on Miami at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, with both games at the Petersen Events Center.

The Panthers will have to work volleyball in around that, as well as the other three teams for the Sweet 16 and then the other team for the Elite Eight, with teams needing a space to practice and prepare for their matches.

Pitt volleyball opens up their NCAA Tournament against Morehead State on Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. If they win, they'll take on the winner of No. 8 Oklahoma vs. UTEP in the Second Round on Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m. All matches are at the Petersen Events Center.

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