Pitt volleyball is coming off a fourth consecutive loss in the Final Four, and the road back has just gotten a whole lot tougher.
Torrey Stafford — a first-team All-American outside hitter from Torrance, Calif. — shockingly entered the transfer portal on Sunday, Tali Goodman of On3 reported. It’s a major, major loss for Dan Fisher and the Panthers.
Stafford was one of the best players in women’s college volleyball this season, earning All-ACC and All-American honors and being named a semifinalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year.
She will have two seasons of collegiate eligibility wherever she eventually winds up.
Stafford was one of the three first-team All-Americans that powered the Panthers this season, racking up 400 kills (3.7 per set) while hitting an outstanding .358%. She added 44 assists, 20 aces, 252 digs (2.33 per set) and 59 blocks.
She paired perfectly with fellow California native Olivia Babcock at the heart of the Pitt attack, helping the Panthers to a 33-2 (19-1 ACC) record this season. It will be impossible to replace her impact.
Babcock and Bre Kelley are the returning All-Americans next season. Stafford will be missed, along with fellow All-American Rachel Fairbanks, Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Cat Flood. But the Panthers are bringing in a star-studded recruiting class and a couple of transfer portal pickups.
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