Pitt Volleyball Represented on National Player Watch List

Pitt Panthers volleyball is well represented on the AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List.

No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 3 Penn State in the Keystone Classic at the Petersen Events Center / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers volleyball team ranks No. 1 in the country, is undefeated and has some of the best players in the country starring in 2024.

The AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List announced its final 12 of 36 players and placed three Pitt players on their in sophomores, outside hitter Torrey Stafford and right side hitter Olivia Babcock, plus senior setter Rachel Fairbanks.

All eyes on these three 👀

Our girls were named to the AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watch List!

🔗 https://t.co/XDSv1oIzHr pic.twitter.com/VtO5YUKXFR

— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) September 20, 2024

Stafford is both No. 9 in the country and top of the ACC with both 4.75 kills per set and 5.38 points per set. She is also tied for No. 7 in the ACC and tied for No. 46 in Division I by hitting .393, an impressive clip for an outside hitter.

She finished last season as a Third Team All-American and earned All-ACC First Team, AVCA East Coast Region Team and All-ACC Freshman Team honors.

Babcock is just behind Stafford with 5.33 points per set, which ranks No. 2 ACC/No. 11 NCAA, while also averaging .60 aces per set (No. 5 ACC/No. 22 NCAA), 4.10 kills per set (No. 4 ACC/Tied No. 47 NCAA) and 1.20 blocks per set, No. 10 ACC.

She earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors after she finished with 45 kills, a .346 hitting percentage, six service aces, 20 digs and seven total blocks, averaging averaged 6.17 points, 5.11 kills, 2.22 digs, 0.78 blocks and 0.67 aces per set in wins on the road vs. No. 23 USC on Sept. 11, Pepperdine on Sept. 13 and UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 14.

Babcock received numerous accoldes for her performance in 2023, including All-ACC Freshman Team, All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-East Coast Region Team, AVCA East Coast Region Freshman of the Year, AVCA First Team All-American and AVCA National Freshman of the Year.

Fairbanks is averaging 11.00 assists per set, best in the ACC and tied for No. 10 in Division I. She had 42 assists in the sweep of rival No. 3 Penn State, a season-high and tied for the sixth most in her career.

She earned First Team All-American, AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year and First Team All-ACC honors last season and her setting is allowing the Panthers to hit .343 as a team, the best mark in Division I.

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