Pitt volleyball is going to have the Petersen Events Center rocking tonight.
No. 1 Pitt is hosting No. 3 Penn State in a massive Keystone State classic. Tickets are going quickly, but there are still a limited number available online — as walk-up tickets will not be sold at the Pete.
It’s likely to be one of the most highly attended volleyball games in program history, with a chance to set the record, and Pitt athletics will be representing the top-ranked team in the country. The football, fresh off a win in the Backyard Brawl, will be in attendance.
“Tonight, going to the volleyball game, pretty much the entire team is going. You gotta cheer on the volleyball team, it’s a big game tonight against Penn State,” Holstein said Wednesday after practice. “I know we’re doing great, but our volleyball team is dominating right now. I don’t think they’ve lost a set. They’re the best team on campus, and we’re trying to get to that point.”
Pitt volleyball isn’t just the best team in Pittsburgh. The Panthers are the best team in the country.
Pitt is undefeated through its first six games, not dropping a set against No. 12 Oregon or No. 23 USC, or in a non-con slate that’s included Long Beach State, Buffalo, Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara. Pitt is the best-hitting team in the ACC through the early going, leading the conference in hitting percentage (.334). The Panthers also rank in the top five in assists/set (13/11, fourth), kills/set (13.94, third) and aces/set (2.44, first).
But the dominance isn’t limited to the offensive side of the game either, holding opponents to a .103 hitting percentage.
Pitt has national championship aspirations, as evidenced by a No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history, and the Panthers are coming off back-to-back Final Four appearances — and back-to-back ACC championships.
Penn State is also undefeated this season, sitting at 8-0 through the early slate of the schedule. The Nittany Lions have knocked off three ranked opponents so far this season, including No. 4 Louisville. The two sides haven’t met in either of the last two seasons, but the Panthers knocked off the Nittany Lions in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
A win tonight, in front of potentially the largest crowd in program history and a large television audience, would be just another massive victory for head coach Dan Fisher and his program.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m. tonight, half an hour earlier than usual, and the match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Those not in attendance will be able to watch on the ACC Network.
Most dominant team Pitt has had since 1976.