Pitt has earned a berth in its fifth consecutive NCAA women’s volleyball tournament, with the Panthers being awarded an at-large bid by the selection committee on Sunday.
Pitt (16-4) finished its 2020-21 season with a perfect 12-0 spring season after starting 4-4 during the pandemic-delayed and -shortened fall season.
The Panthers were not seeded and will play Long Island University in the first round, with a 10:30 p.m. start on April 14. The winner of that match will play No. 14 Utah in the second round on April 15. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN3.
The entire tournament will be played in Omaha, Nebraska in order to lessen the amount of travel as part of the NCAA’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols. There will be 48 teams in the field this year, down from the usual 64.
Pitt needed an at-large berth after finishing third in the ACC, breaking a three-year title streak. Pitt was 14-4 in league play and finished third behind 12-2 Louisville and 13-3 Notre Dame. Georgia Tech (13-4) also qualified for the tournament from the conference.
The Panthers have made the tournament for the fifth straight season under head coach Dan Fisher and the 16th time overall. The team lost in the second round in each of the last four seasons.
