No. 22 Pitt Volleyball to Visit Winston-Salem, N.C., For Pair of Matches

PITTSBURGH – The No. 22 Pitt volleyball team (7-4, 6-4 ACC) will visit Winston-Salem, N.C., for a pair of ACC matches against Wake Forest (0-8, 0-7 ACC) and NC State (5-6, 4-6 ACC) Friday and Saturday, respectively, at LJVM Coliseum.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Match 1 – No. 22 Pitt at Wake Forest (Friday, 4 p.m. ET): Watch | Live Stats
Match 2 – No. 22 Pitt vs. NC State (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET): Live Stats
Fans can follow @Pitt_VB on Twitter and Instagram for live updates during both matches.

LAST TIME OUT

MATCH 1 (vs. Virginia): Senior outside hitter Kayla Lund and sophomore setter Lexis Akeo recorded a double-double as No. 22 Pitt defeated Virginia, 3-1, Saturday night at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers claimed the victory by scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17.
MATCH 2 (vs. No. 20 Georgia Tech): No. 22 Pitt snapped an eight-match win streak for No. 20 Georgia Tech with a 3-0 sweep of the Yellow Jackets Monday night at Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt had a well-balanced score sheet, with six Panthers recording six or more kills apiece. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez led the way with a career-high 11 kills on .375 hitting. She added five digs, two blocks and two service aces.

PITT IN THE POLL

Entering weekend competition, Pitt ranks No. 22 nationally by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
The Panthers have been ranked in 49 consecutive AVCA polls, dating back to the 2018 Preseason Poll.

RANKING THE PANTHERS

Through matches played on March 10, Pitt leads the ACC assists per set (13.68). The Panthers are third in the league in kills per set (14.22) and attacks per set (36.02).
Junior middle blocker Sabrina Starks leads the ACC with 54 total blocks in 2020-21, and is ranked third with 1.32 blocks per set.
Senior outside hitter Kayla Lund is third in the league in kills per set (4.15), points per set (4.82), total kills (170) and total points (197.5).

SCOUTING WAKE FOREST

The Demon Deacons are looking for their first win of the season at 0-8 overall and 0-7 in ACC play.
Caroline Kuhn leads Wake Forest with 2.59 kills per set, followed by Ashley Slater with 2.08.
Pitt is 8-1 all-time against the Demon Deacons, winning the last four meetings in the series. The Panthers' last loss against Wake Forest was Oct. 9, 2016, in Winston-Salem (3-1).
Pitt has swept Wake Forest in the last four meetings, including the most recent contest on Nov. 1, 2019, at Fitzgerald Field House.

SCOUTING NC STATE

The Wolfpack (5-6, 4-6 ACC) is looking to break a two-match slump following losses to No. 14 Notre Dame (3-0) and Miami (3-1).
Senior Melissa Evans leads NC State with 3.87 kills per set and ranks first in the ACC with 10.90 attacks per frame.
The Panthers have won the last three meetings with NC State, with their last loss to the Wolfpack coming Oct. 22, 2017, at Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh (3-1).
Saturday's match will be the first between Pitt and NC State at a neutral site. The Panthers are 11-2 all-time against the Wolfpack.

UP NEXT

Pitt will stay on the road to visit Durham, N.C., for a pair of matches. The Panthers will face Miami Saturday, March 20, before taking on host Duke Sunday, March 21, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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