Inside The Panthers

Pitt Volleyball Signs Romanian Middle Blocker Dalia Vîrlan

The Pitt Panthers added another middle blocker to the roster ahead of the 2024 season, in Dalia Vîrlan from Romania.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates after a point
Pitt Volleyball Celebrates after a point / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers added one more piece to the volleyball roster, ahead of the fall season.

The program announced the addition of middle blocker Dalia Vîrlan, who hails from Brasov, Romania.

Vîrlan stands at around 6-foot-2 and will join three other middle blockers on the program in redshirt junior Bre Kelley and incoming freshmen Ryla Jones and Bianca Garibaldi from Argentina. She turned 19 in February and will have four years of eligibility.

She played for two clubs in Romania, CSU Bravol Brasov in the 2020-21 season and Dinamo Bucharesti the past three seasons, 2021-24.

Her efforts helped Dinamo Bucharesti place second at the 2022 BVA Tournament and she earned Best Middle Blocker honors. She had fifth and sixth place finishes in the Romanian Championship in 2022 and 2023, repsectively.

Playing at the junior level, she finished in second place in both 2022 and 2023 and then third place this year, while earning the Best Middle Blocker Award all three seasons.

Vîrlan also is a constant presence in the Romanian National Team, recently playing for the senior team at EuroVolley, where they placed 11th and then placed fifth at the U-18 World Championship.

Pitt lost middle blockers Chiamaka Nwokolo and Emma Monks to graduation after last season. Rachel Jepsen, who looked to feature as a starter at the position this season, chose to go on a mission trip for 18 months, which won't bring her back until November 2025.

The Panthers have made four straight Elite Eight appearances and three straight Final Fours, the only team in Division I to do the latter. With the addition of Vîrlan, the Panthers will look to finally achieve their final goal of winning a National Championship this season.

Pitt Volleyball 2024 Roster

Sixth Year (One Year Left of Eligibility) (2019)
Outside Hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez

Graduate Student (One Year Left of Eligibility) (2020)
Serve Specialist/Outside Hitter Cat Flood

Senior (One Year Left of Eligibility) (2021)
Setter Rachel Fairbanks
Libero/Defensive Specialist Emmy Klika

Redshirt Junior (Two Years Left of Eligibility) (2021)
Middle Blocker Bre Kelley

Junior (Two Years Left of Eligibility) (2022)
Serve Specialist/libero/defensive specialist Dillyn Griffin

Sophomore (Three Years Left of Eligibility) (2023)
Setter Haiti Tautua'a
Outside Hitter Blaire Bayless
Outside Hitter Torrey Stafford
Right Side Hitter Olivia Babcock

Freshman (Four Years Left of Eligibility) (2024)
Middle Blocker Ryla Jones
Middle Blocker Bianca Garibaldi
Middle Blocker Dalia Vîrlan
Libero/Defensive Specialist Mallorie Meyer
Right Side Hitter/Setter Kiana Dinn

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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