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Pitt Volleyball Releases Challenge Filled 2023 Schedule

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Pitt released their 2023 schedule Monday morning, featuring a number of talented teams that will provide great challenges down the line.

The Panthers are coming off a Final Four appearance and an ACC Championship in 2023, as they won 30 games and lost only four times. They fell in five sets to the Louisville Cardinals in that Final Four, who they also shared the ACC Title with.

Pitt opens up their season with a matchup against BYU at the Ellesyn Invitational in Missoula, Mont. on Friday, Aug. 25. Pitt defeated BYU twice last season, the first on their home court in four sets and then they swept BYU in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center. They will also take on the hosts Montana for the first time since 1996 on Saturday, Aug. 26 and then Texas-Rio Grande Valley for the first meeting between the two schools on Sunday, Aug. 27.

They then take on Kentucky in a home-and-away matchup Labor Day Weekend. Pitt will travel to Lexington, Ky. on Friday, Sept. 1 and then host Kentucky at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday, Sept. 3. Kentucky is one of the best teams Pitt will face in the regular season, as they made it to the Sweet 16 last year and finished as co-champions of the SEC with Florida. This will also serve as the seventh and eighth meeting between the programs, with the series tied at 3-3 and Kentucky winning the last match in five sets in 2008.

Pitt will hit the road the following weekend to face Marquette on Friday, Sept. 8. Marquette finished with a 29-4 overall record and a 17-1 Big East record in 2022 and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual National Champions Texas. This is the first meeting between the schools since Pitt left the Big East after the 2012 season, with Marquette holding a five game wining streak in the series.

The Panthers also face Loyola Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 8, which will be the sixth meeting between the two schools, the first since 1992. The Ramblers hold a 3-2 series lead over the Panthers. They also had a 25-9 record last season and won the Atlantic-10 title, before losing to Kentucky in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt hosts a great Oregon team on Thursday, Sept. 14 for their first match at Fitzgerald Field House. Oregon is one of the top programs in the country, as they finished with a 26-6 overall record, 17-3 Pac-12 record and were one set away from the Final Four before losing to Louisville in five sets in the Elite Eight. Pitt defeated Oregon at home in their last matchup in four sets in 2019.

The Oregon matchup kickstarts a four game home-stand for Pitt. They will also host James Madison on Saturday, Sept. 16, High Point on Sunday, Sept. 17 and UMBC on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Pitt has won all four matchups with James Madison, who won the Sun Belt Championship in 2022 and played the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center, where they lost in a sweep to BYU. Pitt will also take on High Point for the fourth time in the past six seasons and the third straight season, winning all three previous games.

Pitt is 3-0 vs. UMBC and most recently swept them in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2021. UMBC won the American East Championship last year and lost in a sweep to Penn State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers then start their ACC conference schedule the following weekend, which is 18 games in total, nine home and nine away.

They face rivals Louisville and Georgia Tech twice like they did last season. They face Louisville on the road on Friday, Oct. 13 and at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Georgia Tech at home on Friday, Oct. 6 and on the road on Friday, Nov. 10.

They also face rival Syracuse and Miami each twice in a home-and-away. Pitt will face Boston College, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at home and Duke, Florida State, NC State, Notre Dame and North Carolina on the road in ACC play.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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