No. 22 Pitt Volleyball to Host Virginia, No. 18 Georgia Tech

PITTSBURGH – The No. 22 Pitt volleyball team (5-4, 4-4 ACC) is set to begin spring ACC play at Fitzgerald Field House with matches against Virginia (2-8, 0-8 ACC) Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, and No. 18 Georgia Tech (7-1, 7-1 ACC) Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Match 1 – Virginia at No. 22 Pitt (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET): Watch | Live Stats
Match 2 – No. 18 Georgia Tech at No. 22 Pitt (Monday, 5 p.m. ET): Watch | Live Stats
Fans can follow @Pitt_VB on Twitter and Instagram for live updates during both matches.

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 48 consecutive AVCA polls, dating back to the 2018 Preseason Poll.

RANKING THE PANTHERS

Through matches played on March 4, Pitt leads the ACC in both assists per set (13.68) and kills per set (14.29). The Panthers are third in the league in blocks per set (2.66) and fourth in digs per set (15.26).
Senior outside hitter Kayla Lund is second in the league in kills per set (4.38), points per set (5.04) and total kills (149).
Junior middle blocker Sabrina Starks ranks third in the ACC with 1.24 blocks per set.

NDEE NAMED CANDIDATE FOR 2020-21 SENIOR CLASS AWARD

Pitt senior right side hitter Chinaza Ndee has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA

Virginia is 2-8 overall and looking for its first ACC win at 0-8.
Sarah Billiard and Grace Turner lead the Cavaliers contributing 2.89 kills per set apiece.
Pitt is 14-3 all-time against the Cavaliers, and 5-2 when playing in Pittsburgh. The Panthers have won the last seven meetings in the series, with their last loss to Virginia coming Oct. 2, 2015, 3-1, on the road. Pitt's last loss to Virginia in Pittsburgh was Oct. 5, 2013 (3-2).
The Panthers have won 21 of the last 22 sets against Virginia, including 14 consecutive frames
and four straight sweeps. Pitt's last dropped set against Virginia came in the second frame on the road in a 3-1 win in Charlottesville, Va., Nov. 26, 2016.

SCOUTING NO. 18 GEORGIA TECH

No. 18 Georgia Tech leads the ACC with a 7-1 record in league play. The Yellow Jackets top the conference standings with a team hitting percentage of .326.
Mariana Brambilla paces Georgia Tech with 4.38 kills per frame, followed by Julia Bergmann with 4.00 per set.
A win against No. 18 Georgia Tech would improve No. 22 Pitt's record to 3-2 against opponents ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll during the 2020-21 season.
The Panthers are 9-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets, winning the last nine contests in a row after dropping the first meeting Aug. 24, 2007 (3-1). Pitt narrowly defeated Georgia Tech in 2019, earning a thrilling five-set victory at Fitzgerald Field House (Nov. 8, 2019). The Panthers are 5-0 all-time when competing against Georgia Tech in Pittsburgh.
Georgia Tech was picked third in the Preseason ACC Coaches Poll with 172 points, behind Louisville (175 points) and Pitt (192 points).

UP NEXT

The Panthers will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for a pair of matches. First Pitt will take on host Wake Forest Friday, March 12, at 4 p.m. ET, before competing against NC State Saturday, March 13, at 4 p.m. ET.

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