Panthers Head South to Clemson, Georgia Tech

Match Notes
Friday at Clemson: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra
Sunday at Georgia Tech: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (21-6, 14-2 ACC) begins a four-match road stint this weekend as the Panthers head to Clemson (7-22, 2-15 ACC) and Georgia Tech (13-15, 8-9 ACC).

THE SCHEDULE

Pitt will face Clemson Friday, Nov. 17 in Jervey Gym in Atlanta. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
The Panthers will continue play Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. against Georgia Tech in O'Keefe Gymnasium.

THE SERIES

Pitt and Clemson will square off for the seventh time in program history. The Panthers have won five of six matches against the Tigers, dropping the first match played between the two teams in 1997 before defeating Clemson in every match since.
Pitt will also face Georgia Tech for the seventh time, as the Panthers also dropped their first match to the Yellow Jackets in 2007 before earning the win in every matchup since.

SCOUTING CLEMSON

Clemson enters the weekend with a 7-22 overall record and a 2-15 mark in conference play.
The Tigers are currently on a six-match losing streak dating back to Oct 29, with their most recent loss coming to Georgia Tech Wednesday.
Clemson will look to Kaylin Korte to challenge Pitt, as she leads her team in kills (317), kills per set (3.37) and aces (18).

SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech will face Pitt with a 13-15 overall mark and an 8-9 record in ACC play.
In their most recent match-up on Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets swept Clemson. Prior to that, the team lost three consecutive matches to Virginia, UNC and NC State.
Gabriela Stavnetchei, who Georgia Tech in kills (410) and kills per set (4.14) will lead the Yellow Jacket's attack.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt went 2-0 last weekend with wins over Wake Forest and Duke.
The Panthers opened the weekend with a sweep of the Demon Deacons. Three different Panthers notched double-digit kills in the match, as sophomore Nika Markovic lead the team with 17. Sophomore Layne Van Buskirk added 12, while freshman Kayla Lund finished with 11. Lund was the only Panther to collect a double-double, as she added 10 digs to go along with her 11 kills. This is her second double-double on the season.
The Panthers continued their winning ways with a four-set victory over the Blue Devils Sunday. Pitt produced a balanced offense against Duke, as four Panthers finished with double-digit kills. Sophomore Layne Van Buskirk led the squad with 13, while redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams and freshman Kayla Lund each added 12. Sophomore Nika Markovic tallied 11 to round out the double-digit attackers. Junior setter Kamalani Akeo, who paces the Panthers' attack tallied 51 assists in the match. She helped Pitt to 64 total kills, while the Panthers held Duke to just 45.

LOOKING AHEAD

Pitt will face Virginia and Virginia Tech in its final matches of the regular season next weekend.

FIRST PLACE PANTHERS

Pitt currently sits tied with NC State and Louisville atop of the ACC with a 14-2 record in conference play.
The Wolfpack and Cardinals will face each other this weekend.

LEADING LADIES

The Panthers currently lead the conference in hitting percentage (.272) and match win-loss percentage (.778).
Pitt also ranks second in assists/set (13.27), kills/set (14.29) and team service aces (136), while sitting third in aces/set (1.40), opponent hitting percentage (.189), team kills (1,386) and team assists (1,287).

THE KEY TO PITT'S TOP-RANKED OFFENSE

Pitt's success on offense in 2017 is in large part due to junior setter Kamalani Akeo.
The Kapolei, Hawaii, native is the key to the Panthers top-ranked offense, which currently ranks first in the conference and 21^st in the nation with a .272 hitting percentage. Pitt's kills per set average also sits second in the ACC and 22^nd in the NCAA.
Akeo has tallied 1,013 assists, good for 10.44 per set, to help lead the Panthers' offense remain at a consistently high level. Her per set average sits fourth in the ACC, while her overall total of assists sits third.

WILLIAMS IN DOUBLE-DIGITS

Redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams has hit in double-digits 20 times this season, including six where she has also recorded a double-double.
From Sept 9, 2017 to Oct 15, 2017, Williams posted 12-straight matches in which she recorded 10 or more kills.
On the season, Williams has tallied 300 kills, good for 3.16 per set, while hitting at a .294 clip.

MAKING HER MARK

One of three international products on the roster, sophomore Nika Markovic has had a major impact on the Panthers' success since her arrival in 2016.
So far this season, the right side hitter has dominated both sides of the ball for Pitt. She has tallied 337 kills, 3.83 per set, to lead the team and rank fourth in the ACC. Markovic boasts 180 digs, 31 aces and 79 blocks.
The Slovenian has recorded four double-doubles this season and has hit in double-digits 18 times this season.
Last season, the Braslovce, Slovenia native was sidelined in early October due to foot surgery for three games. She was also limited in three more contests before being given the full go on Oct. 28 against NC State.
The team fell into a lull in her absence, producing a 2-4 record. After her return, Pitt picked up its play, rattling off four straight wins, including an upset at home against No. 8 North Carolina.
In the upset over the Tar Heels, Markovic had a career-high 19 kills, which led the Panthers. She also produced 10 kills in the win over NC State that same weekend, and tallied 19 digs over the two games. She was honored as the ACC Freshman of the Week for her efforts.
Markovic ended her freshman campaign with 233 kills and a .266 hitting percentage. She also racked up 39 aces, second best on the team.

PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF

In 2016 as a freshman, Layne Van Buskirk was one of the most efficient attackers for Pitt and the now-sophomore is picking up right where she left off.
The Windsor, Ontario native is hitting .330 for the Panthers, ranking seventh in the ACC.
Last season as a newcomer, she tallied a .345 hitting percentage, which ranked second for the Panthers. As the lone freshman in the top 10 of the category, Van Buskirk's clip ranked sixth in the ACC.

HITTING 100

Head coach Dan Fisher earned his 100th win at Pitt with a 3-1 victory over Syracuse at home Sept. 22.
Fisher, who is in his fifth season with the Panthers, owns a 113-44 (.720) record with the University, while boasting 188 career wins as a head coach.

MILESTONE/RECORD BOOK WATCH

Junior setter Kamalani Akeo currently sits seventh in career assists with 2,951. She will look to climb further throughout the season, as she is 165 assists away from sixth place (3,116).
Senior Mariah Bell will look to break into the top 10 in career kills and aces in 2017. Bell is 138 kills away from moving into the top 10 (1,071) in the category and just 67 away from hitting 1,000 mark. She also needs just four aces to enter the record book (110).
With her 33 digs at the Dayton Invitational, Angela Seman broke into the career digs category of the record book. The redshirt junior now boasts 1,366 digs, good for seventh-best in program history. She is now just 48 away from moving into sixth (1,414).

#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Panthers Head South to Clemson, Georgia Tech

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Mariah Bell

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Angela Seman

Layne Van Buskirk

Stephanie Williams

Panthers Head South to Clemson, Georgia Tech

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Mariah Bell

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Angela Seman

Layne Van Buskirk

Stephanie Williams

Related Videos