PITTSBURGH – The No. 5 Pitt volleyball team is set to face No.17 BYU, Montana and UTRGV for the season opener in Missoula Mont. on Aug. 25, 26 and 27, respectively. The no. 5 ranking marks the fourth straight year the Panthers have started their season in the AVCA top 10. The matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Pitt and BYU meet for the fourth time on Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. ET, facing each other last season in the NCAA Round of 32 at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 3-0 sweep, and sophomore Rachel Fairbanks became the first Pitt player to record a triple-double in a NCAA Tournament match (28A,13K,10D).
The Panthers and Grizzlies meet for the second time in the history of the programs on Aug. 26 at noon ET. The two haven’t played in almost 30 years, most recently meeting in 1996 in which the Panthers registered a 3-1 victory.
Pitt will wrap up the weekend as it faces UTRGV for the first time in program history. The match will take place on Aug. 27 at noon ET. The Vaqueros lost in the NIVC Championship last season and finished with a 27-7 overall record.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
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The Panthers welcome the highest ranked freshman class in program history (No. 8 according to prepvolleyball.com) in Torrey Stafford, Blaire Bayless, Olivia Babcock and Haiti Tautua’a.
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All four student-athletes are rated Top 70 in their class and have numerous accolades to their name.
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Stafford, Bayless and Babcock were named Under Armour First-Team All-Americans and competed in the annual match against the best senior volleyball players in the nation.
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Stafford was named MVP of the match and Babcock was named MVP of her squad.
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Tautua’a is the No. 1 recruit out of Hawaii and is a staple at the USA Volleyball NTDP. She won the 2022 TransPacific Championships with her club, Spike and Serve.
CHIA’S BACK!
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Graduate middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo announced that she will return for her fifth and final year of eligibility for the 2023 season.
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A consistent presence in the middle, Nwokolo was named to the 2022 All ACC Second-Team after hitting nearly .375 and registering 166 kills and 118 total blocks.
TERRIFIC TRANSFERS
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Head Coach Dan Fisher and the…
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