Inside The Panthers

Pitt Volleyball Facing Penn State in Scrimmage

The Pitt Panthers will face their in-state rival in volleyball again.
Dominic Campbell|
No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 3 Penn State in the Keystone Classic at the Petersen Events Center
No. 1 Pitt Volleyball Sweeps No. 3 Penn State in the Keystone Classic at the Petersen Events Center | Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers will start their spring scrimmages soon for volleyball and revealed a new matchup against a bitter rival.

Pitt volleyball announced that they'll face rival Penn State in a spring scrimmage on April 9 at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.

This will serve as the third team Pitt will face this spring for a scrimmage. They also have two matchups at Fitzgerald Field House against Ohio State on April 12 and Michigan on April 13, both slated for 1:00 p.m. starts.

The two teams battled last spring for two scrimmages, with Pitt winning in four sets at Fitzgerald Field House and Penn State winning in five sets at Rec Hall.

Pitt and Penn State reignited their rivalry back last season, facing off at the Petersen Events Center on Sept. 18.

The Panthers dominated the Nittany Lions, sweeping them in front of a program record crowd of 11,800 fans.

Both teams continued on and had incredibly successful seasons, starring as two of the best sides in women's college volleyball and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt finished 33-2 overall and 19-1 in the ACC, their third straight season winning the conference title and sixth time in eight seasons doing so. They also made the Final Four for the fourth straight year, but lost in four sets to rival Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Penn State finished 35-2 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten, winning the conference title. They also made the Final Four, where they reverse swept Nebraska, and then defeated Louisville in the National Championship in four sets, their eighth in program history.

The Keystone Classic will take place again this fall, with Pitt traveling to face Penn State at Rec Hall for an undetermined date.

Pitt returns AVCA National Player of the Year in junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock, Second Team All-American in redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley and All-ACC Freshman Team honoree in sophomore middle blocker Ryla Jones.

Penn State returns Big Ten Freshman of the Year in sophomore setter Izzy Starck and All-Big Ten Second Team honoree in senior libero Gillian Grimes, plus All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree in redshirt sophomore outside hitter/right side Caroline Jurevicius.

The programs each have two of the best coaches in the sport in Pitt's Dan Fisher, who won AVCA Coach of the Year last season, plus Penn State's Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who battled through cancer to win her first National Title as a head coach.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.

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