No. 8 Pitt to Play No. 6 Louisville Friday, Challenge Notre Dame Sunday

PITTSBURGH – The No. 8 Pitt volleyball team (15-2, 6-0 ACC) is set for a competitive weekend. The Panthers will meet No. 6 Louisville (14-2, 5-1 ACC) for a Final Four rematch at the KFC Yum Center on Friday night at 7 p.m. before playing Notre Dame (9-5, 3-3 ACC) in South Bend on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Louisville match will be broadcasted on ESPNU while the Notre Dame match will be available on ACCNX.

The Panthers trail in the all-time series against Louisville, 14-19. Pitt beat Louisville at home last October 3-2 in the Fitzgerald Field House before falling 3-0 in Louisville. The Cardinals and Panthers met for the third and final time at the Final Four in Omaha, Nebraska, but Louisville ultimately took down Pitt in an unbelievable five-set match. Rachel Fairbanks almost recorded a triple-double, notching 29 assists along with eight digs and kills. 

Notre Dame leads the series against Pitt, 25-18, but the Panthers have won the last three matches. The last time the two programs met Pitt swept the Fighting Irish at the Fitzgerald Field House, 3-0. Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Julianna Dalton combined for 21 kills and 19 digs in the match. 

MONKS SHINES ON OFFENSIVE END

• Not only does Emma Monks impress defensively, but she is currently fourth in the nation in hitting efficiency (.455)

• She recorded 11 kills on a .563 hitting percentage against No. 11 Georgia Tech. 

BLOCK PARTY

• The Pitt Panthers are currently first in the nation in blocks per set (3.21).

• Chiamaka Nwokolo, Rachel Jepsen, Olivia Babcock and Emma Monks have all registered at least six blocks in a match so far this season.

• Emma Monks is currently seventh in the nation in blocks per set (1.59).

• Monks recorded seven blocks against Georgia Tech while Nwokolo tied a career high with eight blocks against North Carolina in a 3-0 sweep. 

FAIRBANKS RUNS THE SHOW

• Junior Rachel Fairbanks was named Co-ACC Setter of the Week on Oct. 9 after notching 83 assists, 14 digs and four aces against the Yellow Jackets and Tigers. 

• She averaged 10.38 assists per set and led the Panthers to a team .288 hitting percentage. 

FRESHMAN PHENOMS

• Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock have combined for five ACC Freshman of the Weekhonors.

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