For the time in history, the No. 1 team in women’s college volleyball plays its games at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.
Pitt is the new No. 1 team in the AVCA Poll, rising two spots to claim the top spot. It’s a monumental moment for head coach Dan Fisher and the work he’s put in since taking over the program in 2013.
Pitt received 1,471 points and 29 first-place votes to edge out Stanford (1,462 points, 23 first-place votes) as the No. 1 team in the country. Penn State (6), Louisville (1) and Nebraska (2) also received first-place votes — and comprise the top five.
Pitt, Stanford, Louisville, Georgia Tech (15), Miami (20) and Florida State (21) are the ACC teams in the top 25.
Pitt is undefeated through its first three games, not dropping a set in sweeping No. 12 Oregon, Long Beach State and Buffalo. Pitt is the best-hitting team in the ACC through the early going, leading the conference in hitting percentage (.356). The Panthers also rank in the top three in blocks/set (3.11, second) and aces/set (3.11, first).
But the dominance isn’t limited to the offensive side of the game either, holding opponents to a conference-low .074 hitting percentage.
Torrey Stafford is off to a hot start this season, pacing the conference in kills/set (4.57) and hitting a blistering .382%. Olivia Babcock, Rachel Fairbanks, Bre Kelley, Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Ryla Jones have also been strong to start the season.
It’s still early in the season, but Pitt appears primed for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The remaining non-conference schedule will be a good test to warm up for ACC play starting on Sept. 27.
Pitt is flying to SoCal to play No. 23 USC on Wednesday night, the first of a three-game road stand (playing Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara on Friday and Saturday, respectively). The Panthers will then return home for a massive match against No. 3 Penn State at the Petersen Events Center on Sept. 18. The non-con slate also features East Carolina, Marquette and UMBC.
ACC play kicks off on the road against Clemson on Sept. 27 and features matchups against Georgia Tech (twice), Stanford, Miami, Louisville (twice) and Florida State.
