University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Volleyball Releases Its 2012 Schedule
6/28/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
June 28, 2012
PITTSBURGH—University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball head coach Toby Rens has announced the Panthers’ 2012 schedule that features five matches against 2011 NCAA Championship teams and hosting duties for the Big East Championship.
The Panthers open the season on Aug. 24-25 at Purdue University in the Mortar Board Premier Tournament in West Lafayette, Ind. Pitt will face George Washington, Northern Iowa and the host Boilermakers. Last season, UNI was the Missouri Valley Conference Champion and ranked ninth overall in the RPI top 100, while Purdue advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and finished eighth overall in the RPI top 100.
The following weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 1), Pitt will entertain Coastal Carolina, Howard and Butler at Fitzgerald Field House for its own tournament - University of Pittsburgh Panther Invitational.
The Panthers will then travel to Horizon League member Cleveland State for a dual match on September 4. The Vikings finished the 2011 season 21-8 and recorded a second-place conference finish.
Pitt returns to tournament play on Sept. 7-8 at the Tulane University Tournament in New Orleans. The Panthers will meet Sam Houston State, Tulane and Mississippi State in that order.
Regular-season tournament action concludes at the Ball State Tournament held in Muncie, Ind. on Sept. 14 and 15. The Panthers will play the host Cardinals, Wright State and Wyoming. Ball State earned a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, falling in the first round to Pitt’s Big East foe Louisville.
Pitt hits the road to face city rival Duquesne (Sept. 18) and will open Big East play the same week, traveling to Seton Hall (Sept. 22) and Rutgers (Sept. 23).
The Panthers begin league play at home on Sept. 28 versus Cincinnati. In addition to the Bearcats, Pitt will tangle with seven other Big East opponents at the Fitzgerald Field House: Louisville (Sept. 30), Georgetown (Oct. 12), Villanova (Oct. 14), St. John’s (Oct. 19), Connecticut (Oct. 21), USF (Nov. 3) and Seton Hall (Nov. 9). In 2011, both the Bearcats and Cardinals advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and appeared in RPI Top 30.
On the road, Pitt faces rivals Marquette (Oct. 5), Syracuse (Oct. 7), Notre Dame (Oct. 27), DePaul (Oct. 28) and Villanova (Nov. 11).
Sandwiched in between league play is a non-conference game against Robert Morris on Nov. 6.
The Panthers will host the Big East Championship at Fitzgerald Field House Nov. 16-18. This marks the third time in the last five seasons Pitt has been the home of the conference tournament.
The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship first and second rounds will be held Nov. 30- Dec. 1. The NCAA finals are Dec. 13-15 in Louisville, Ky.
