No. 12 Pitt to Open 2019 Season with Panther Challenge

PITTSBURGH – The No. 12 Pitt volleyball team will welcome Cleveland State, Cincinnati, and South Carolina Friday and Saturday for the Panther Challenge to kick off the 2019 season at Fitzgerald Field House.

The Panthers will face Cleveland State (12:30 p.m.) and Cincinnati (7 p.m.) Friday before taking on South Carolina Saturday (7 p.m.).

HOW TO FOLLOW

Pitt's matches can be streamed live on ACC Network Extra via the following links:
Live stats are available at PittsburghPanthers.com.
Fans can follow along with live updates on Twitter @Pitt_VB.
Tickets are available at PittsburghPanthers.com or by calling the Panthers' Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT (7488).

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE

Cleveland State opens the 2019 season Friday after finishing 17-12 in 2018, including 11-5 in the Horizon League.
Seniors Trinniti Hall and Sara Skeens return to the court in 2019 as seniors after posting more than 300 kills apiece last season.
All but a few of Cleveland State's statistical leaders will be back on the court for the 2019 season, as the Vikings aim to reclaim their conference title after winning it in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI

Led by their U.S. Women's National Team member Jordan Thompson, the Cincinnati Bearcats reached the NCAA tournament in 2018. Thompson averaged six kills per set, hit over .300, and earned American Conference Player of the Year honors. She spent her summer helping Team USA qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The Cincinnati team boasts the return of three out of five other attackers who had triple-digit kills alongside Thompson in the 2018 season.
The Bearcats graduated two seniors who played major roles in their 2018 season. Jade Tingelhoff left her setting duties to sophomore Armania Heckenmueller, who debuted with 7.13 average assists per set out of the back row.
While the Bearcats have five talented athletes with 200 or more digs in the 2018 season, they will need to compensate for the loss of senior libero Abby Williams.
The Bearcats received votes in the 2019 Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina received votes in the 2019 Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.
All-SEC honorees Mikayla Robinson and Mikayla Shields return this year along with senior setter Courtney Koehler.
Shields made history for the Gamecocks becoming the fifth junior ever in the program's 46 years to reach 1,000 career kills in three season or less.
Robinson earned her first all-conference nod in 2018, marking her second postseason recognition after being named to the all-freshman team in 2017. Robinson is a heavy hitter for the Gamecocks, leading in blocks and hitting percentage during the regular season in 2018. She was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice.
Koehler will guide the Gamecock's offense for her third season. Her record boasts 1,121 assists, earning her fourth for most in a season for the rally-scoring era.

RANKING THE PANTHERS

The Panthers will enter the 2019 season having earned their highest preseason ranking in program history, coming in at No. 12 in the initial American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, released Tuesday afternoon.
The poll marks the third time that Pitt has earned an AVCA preseason ranking, in addition to 2018 (No. 20) and 1992 (No. 25).
The Panthers ranked 14th in the final 2018 AVCA Coaches Poll.
Four of Pitt's 2019 opponents were ranked in the poll: including No. 8 Penn State (Sept. 20 & 22), No. 11 Oregon (Sept. 11), No. 23 Cal Poly (Sept. 13) and No. 25 Louisville (Oct. 27, Nov. 27).
Five of the Panthers' upcoming opponents received votes in the poll, including Cincinnati (Aug. 30), South Carolina (Aug. 31), Utah (Sept. 14), Pepperdine (Sept. 14) and Florida State (Oct. 6, Nov. 24).

PITT NAMED ACC PRESEASON FAVORITE (AGAIN)

For the second consecutive year, the Panthers topped the ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the conference Aug. 9.
Pitt was named the preseason favorite with 195 points and 13 first-place votes. Florida State was picked second with 174 points and the remaining first-place vote. Head coaches may not vote for their own teams in the poll.

FOUR PANTHERS EARN PRSEASON ALL-ACC HONORS

The Panthers led all teams with four student-athletes named to the 18-member 2019 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team.
Pitt's 2018 AVCA All-Americans, including Nika Markovic (third team), Kayla Lund (honorable mention), Layne Van Buskirk (honorable mention) and Stephanie Williams (honorable mention), earned the accolades.
Williams made her team-high third consecutive appearance on the team (2017, 2018), followed by Markovic with her second consecutive appearance (2018). The honors are the first for Lund and Van Buskirk.

SEVEN NEW FACES

The Panthers welcome seven newcomers to their 2019 roster, including six true freshmen and one redshirt senior transfer.
Pitt's 2019 recruiting class earned a No. 19 ranking by PrepVolleyball, marking the program's highest selection ever. A panel of college coaches from across the country, representing all three NCAA divisions, determines the list of top classes.
All-American defensive specialist/libero Hali Hillegas joined the Panthers in January after transferring from Iowa State. After redshirting her freshman year at ISU in 2015, the 5-foot-6 back row player competed in every match for the Cyclones over the next three seasons. Hillegas earned 2017 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors, as well as All-Big 12 First Team honors, for her sophomore campaign while ranking 15th in the nation with 5.60 digs per set.
The freshmen, including setter Lexis Akeo, libero Ashley Browske, outside/right side Sadie Dick, transfer libero Hali Hillegas, middle/right side Chiamaka Nwokolo, middle hitter Anastasia Russ, and outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez will look to help Pitt defend its conference titles.

PANTHERS ON TV

Ten of the Panthers' 2019 contests will appear on linear broadcast networks, with a league-high six to be televised on the new ACC Network, which launched Aug. 22.
ESPNU picked up two home contests: a match against 2018 Elite Eight contestant Oregon (Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET) and ACC foe NC State (Oct. 20, 1 p.m. ET). The Ducks were ranked No. 11 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Poll, announced Tuesday.
RSN will air two Pitt volleyball matches, including the Panthers' visit to Boston College (Oct. 13, 2:30 p.m. ET) and a home contest against Duke (Nov. 3, noon ET).
The remainder of Pitt's home matches not broadcast on linear networks will be available to stream live on ACC Network Extra, available on the WatchESPN app (all times Eastern).

LAST TIME OUT

No. 12 Pitt traveled to Dayton for an exhibition match last Saturday afternoon at Frericks Center. After dropping the first two frames 25-21, 25-21, the Panthers were able to rally and win the next two 25-22 and 25-23, forcing the Flyers to play the fifth set. After eight ties and two lead changes, the Flyers pulled out a win 19-17 in extra points.
Redshirt senior Stephanie Williams, outside hitter, led the Panthers with 21 kills on the day while hitting at a .409 clip (21-3-44) and adding nine digs.

UP NEXT

No. 12 Pitt will co-host the ChampYinz Invitational with Duquesne Sept. 6-7. The Panthers will take on the Buckeyes Friday, Sept. 6, at PPG Paints Arena before hosting Green Bay and Duquesne at Fitzgerald Field House Sept. 7.

PITT VOLLEYBALL TICKETS

Flex season ticket packages as well as single-match and group tickets for the 2018 volleyball season are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Panthers' Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT (7488) or online at PittsburghPanthers.com.

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