Inside The Panthers

Pitt Volleyball Ranked No. 4 in Preseason Poll

The Pitt Panthers volleyball program comes into 2024 ranked No. 4 in the AVCA Preseason Poll.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a well deserved point
Pitt Volleyball Celebrates a well deserved point / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers come into 2024 as one of the top teams in the country, receiving a No. 4 ranking in the AVCA/TARAFLEX preseason poll, their highest ranking in program history.

The only teams that rank ahead of them are the ones that made the 2023 Final Final as well in National Champion Texas at No. 1, runners-up Nebraska at No. 2 and fellow semifinialist Wisconsin at No. 3.

Pitt will face off against a number of great non-conference opponents prior to their ACC schedule.

Oregon, who made the Elite Eight the past two seasons, comes in at No. 10, making it a top 10 matchup for the two schools in their season opener on Friday, Aug. 30 at 10:30 p.m. (EST) on the Big Ten Network.

The Ducks defeated the Panthers in five sets at Fitzgerald Field House last season, staving off a reverse sweep comeback in that fifth set. This is the first time the two teams will face off in Eugene, Ore., with the first game coming on a neutral site in 1978 and then Pitt winning in four sets at home in 2019.

Pitt will also face No. 21 USC on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 9:00 p.m., (EST) also on the Big Ten Network. This is a rematch of last season's Second Round NCAA Tournament match, which saw Pitt win in four sets. This is also the first match between the two teams in Los Angeles since the two they played in 1989.

Pepperdine, who Pitt will face on Friday, Sept. 13 in Malibu, Calif., received 30 points in the poll. They have made it to the NCAA Tournament the past four years and won the WCC last season.

The Panthers are 3-3 against the Waves, including 2-0 under Fisher, with a win in five sets on the road back in 2019. The Panthers are 2-5 against the Gauchos, but 2-0 under Fisher, including a sweep at home in 2017.

The Keystone Classic will see No. 7 Penn State come to the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday Sept. 18 at 7:00 p.m., with the ACC Network broadcasting the match. This is the first regular season matchup in the rivalry since 2019 and the first matchup since the 2021 NCAA Tournament Second Round, which Pitt won in four sets at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt hosts No. 24 Marquette on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. They swept Marquette in Milwaukee last season, serving as their first matchup since they played annually from 2005-12 when they were both in the Big East.

The ACC also brings a fantastic slate for the Panthers, facing a number of great opponents from late September-November.

They play No. 14 Georgia Tech in a home-and-away, starting on Sunday Sept. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in Atlanta, which the ACC Network will broadcast, and then host their rival on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1:00 p.m. in the regular season finale.

Pitt also faces rival No. 6 Louisville home-and-away too, hosting them on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center and traveling there for Wednesday Nov. 27 at 7:00 p.m., playing on the ACC Network.

No. 5 Stanford is the highest ranked opponent for Pitt in the preseason poll. They will host Stanford on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 3:00 p.m at Fitzgerald Field House, with ESPN broadcasting the elite matchup.

Florida State, who finished as ACC co-Champions last season, come in at No. 20 and travel to face Pitt on Friday, Nov. 15. Miami, who received 10 points themselves, will also travel and play Pitt that same weekend on Sunday, Nov. 17.

ACC-incomer SMU, who won the American Athletic Conference last season, received 76 votes. Pitt will play them home-and-away, hosting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, with the game on the ACC Network, and then traveling to Dallas for Saturday, Oct. 12.

Pitt is coming off another incredible season in 2023, where they finished 29-5 overall, 16-2 in the ACC, earning them a share of the conference title, a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament and their third straight Final Four appearance.

They bring back five of seven starters from last season, including reigning National Freshman of the Year in sophomore right side Olivia Babcock, First Team All-American in senior setter Rachel Fairbanks, Third Team All-American in sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford, All-American Honorable Mention in senior libero/defensive specialist Emmy Klika and All-ACC sixth year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Follow Dominic Campbell on Twitter.