Two Panthers Named ACC Players of the Week

PITTSBURGH – Two Panthers were named ACC Players of the Week on Monday evening. Rachel Fairbanks picked up her first ACC Setter of the Week honor of the season and fifth of her career while Ryla Jones was named the ACC Freshman of the Week for the first time. The two helped Pitt to three sweeps last week against then No. 3 Penn State, East Carolina and Marquette.

Fairbanks impressed over the week, averaging 13.5 assists per set, 2.33 digs per set and 0.33 aces per set, leading Pitt to a team .391 hitting percentage. She recorded 42 assists in the sweep over No. 3 Penn State, along with eight digs, two aces, a block and a kill. Fairbanks followed that up with 39 assists, six digs and two kills in the sweep over Marquette. 

Jones registered seven kills in the sweep of No. 3 Penn State, hitting .636 on 11 attempts and added a match-high six blocks. Against East Carolina, she notched a career-high eight kills, hitting .800 on 10 attempts and added five blocks. She finished the weekend with three kills and four blocks in the sweep of Marquette. 

The Panthers finish non-conference play this Wednesday night at 5 p.m. in the Fitzgerald Field House against UMBC.