Preview: Pitt Volleyball Starts NCAA Tournament Play

Pitt Panthers volleyball begin their NCAA Tournament play against Morehead State.

Dominic Campbell | Dec 6, 2024

Pitt Volleyball Celebrates Scoring a Point / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball starts their mission for a National Title, as they host Morehead State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt Volleyball Regular Season Review

Pitt finished with a 29-1 overall record and a 19-1 record in the ACC, winning them the conference title outright. This is their third straight ACC Title and their sixth in the last eight seasons.

They also held on to the No. 1 spot in the AVCA for the final 13 weeks of the season, accrued 11 ranked victories and dropped just 10 sets all season, least in Division I.

This allowed them to earn their first ever No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. It is the third time they've earned a top four seed, allowing them to host through to the Final Four.

Pitt had all seven starters make the All-ACC Teams, with sophomore right side hitter Olivia Babcock winning ACC Player of the Year and head coach Dan Fisher earning ACC Coach of the Year Honors.

The Panthers had four All-ACC First Team honorees in senior setter Rachel Fairbanks, redshirt junior Bre Kelley and sophomores in outside hitter Torrey Stafford and Babcock.

They also had two All-ACC Second Team honorees, in graduate student Valeria Vazquez Gomez and senior libero/defensive specialist Emmy Klika, and middle blocker Ryla Jones made the All-ACC Freshman Team.

Pitt is in their ninth straight NCAA Tournament, and after making the past four Elite Eights and three Final Fours, they start their quest to win their first ever National Title.

Morehead State Preview

Morehead State finished their season 18-14 and 12-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference and earn a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

They swept No. 5 Western Illinois in the First Round, defeated No. 1 Southeast Missouri State in the Semifinals in four sets, but lost in a sweep to No. 2 Lindenwood in the Championship.

Lindenwood, who moved up to Division I from Division II ahead of the 2022-23 academic calendar, are not able to participate in the NCAA Tournament, as they have to wait four years before competing in the postseason.

This allowed Morehead State to secure the automatic qualifier spot for the Ohio Valley Conference in the NCAA Tournament.

They had a No. 174 RPI ranking at the end of the season, the second lowest of a team in the NCAA Tournament, with Delaware State, the AQ of the MEAC, possessing the lowest ranking at No. 203.

The Eagles' best player is junior outside hitter M.E. Hargin, who ranked No. 5 in the OVC with both 3.11 kills per set and 3.65 points per set, earning All-OVC First Team honors.

Morehead State graduate student midde blocker/right side Irene Wogenstahl led the team with 0.97 blocks per set and was second with a .295 hitting percentage. She earned All-OVC Second Team honors.

Redshirt junior middle blocker Sydney Wyman led the Eagles with a .298 hitting percentage, No. 5 OVC, and is third with 0.94 blocks per set, No. 10 OVC.

Graduate student setter Brenna Bommer finished No. 10 in the OVC with 5.41 assists per set and senior defensive specialist ranked tied No. 6 in the OVC with 4.69 digs per set.

Morehead State ranked second as a team in the OVC with 16.87 points per set, .218 hitting percentage, 1.58 service aces, .179 opponent hitting percentage, 11.02 opponent assists and 11.89 opponent kills per set.

They also rank third as a team in the conference with 12.88 kills per set and 2.41 digs per set.

History of Pitt Volleyball vs. Morehead State

Pitt holds a 2-1 record over Morehead State, with a win in 1979, a loss in five sets at home in 2013 and a sweep on the road in 2021.

The most recent victory, saw graduate student outside hitter Cat Flood, Fairbanks and Klika get in to play this team, as Pitt outhit them .354 to .083.