University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Friday, November 18
Louisville, KY
6 PM
Pitt
at
Louisville
No. 7 Pitt Carries ACC Title Hopes to No. 4 Louisville
11/17/2022 10:11:00 AM | Volleyball
Pitt can clinch a share of the ACC Championship with a win
PITTSBURGH – No. 7 Pitt (25-2, 15-0 ACC) has a chance to secure its fourth ACC Championship in the last six seasons on Friday night when the Panthers battle No. 4 Louisville (24-2, 15-1 ACC) at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville, Kentucky. Pitt would secure a share of the ACC Championship with a win while still controlling its own destiny in the event of a loss.
Pitt has won 15 consecutive road matches, the longest active streak in the country. Overall, the Panthers have won 18 matches in a row, the third longest active streak in the country, and the longest among Power 5 schools. Pitt is the only Power 5 team with an undefeated conference record. Pitt has lost just five sets since the start of October (36-5), the fewest in Power 5.
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers swept Syracuse on senior night at the Fitzgerald Field House, extending its home winning streak against unranked ACC opponents to 41. Pitt dominated the match, hitting .367 as a team, tied for its highest in an ACC match this season, headlined by a career-best .467 hitting from Julianna Dalton. Dalton led the team with eight kills, as one of four Panthers to register at least five kills on .300 or better hitting in the match (also Serena Gray, Sabrina Starks and Valeria Vazquez Gomez).
TOPPLING THE TOP 10
Pitt is 4-0 against Top 10 opponents this season, taking wins at No. 7 BYU, No. 5 Ohio St., at No. 10 Georgia Tech and No. 2 Louisville. The Panthers' 4-match winning streak vs Top 10 teams is the longest in program history.
Pitt's 3-1 win over No. 7 BYU ended the Cougars' 30-match home winning streak. The Panthers swept No. 5 Ohio State in the first home sweep of a Top 5 opponent in program history. Pitt then defeated No. 10 Georgia Tech, 3-1, at McCamish Pavilion, stay perfect, 6-0, when playing at Georgia Tech. They became the second program in the history of Pitt Athletics to record four Top 10 victories in the same season (1989 Men's Basketball) after defeating No. 2 Louisville in 5 sets. Taking down No. 2 Louisville was the highest ranked win in program history.
No team in Pitt Athletics history has won 5 matches against Top 10 opponents in the same season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
One of Coach Fisher's proudest achievements this season has been on defense. Pitt recorded more or the same amount of digs as its opponents in 24 of 27 matches this year and are holding opponents to just .141 hitting. That is the second-lowest opponents' hitting percentage in the Power 5 and on pace for the lowest number in program history for a single season.
Ashley Browske has been the defensive catalyst this year. She set the tone defensively in the very first weekend of the season, making 48 digs (4.36/set) at the Texas A&M Invitational, her highest average over a three-match span in her career. She is averaging a career-best 3.26 digs/ set this season, after setting her previous high point with 3.03. She made 12 digs in two sets at High Point, marking her 2nd match averaging six digs/set or better this season (6.33/set against Hawaii). After doing so just once in her earlier seasons.
Valeria Vazquez Gomez made a career-high 24 digs in Pitt's 4 set win over NC State earlier this season. It was the most by a Pitt non-defensive specialist since 2017 (Nika Markovic – 27 vs. St, Mary's).
Five different Panthers have set career-bests this year in single season digs: Dalton, Rachel Fairbanks, Cat Flood, Emmy Klika and Vazquez Gomez. While six different Panthers have set career-bests in single season blocks: Courtney Buzzerio, Dalton, Fairbanks, Flood, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Vazquez Gomez.
Serena Gray has made 103 blocks this season, marking consecutive 100+ block seasons for the first time in her career. She is doing so while also maintaining her elite efficiency on offense. Gray is hitting .426 this season (191 kills on 350 attempts), good enough for 7th in Division I. She is one of three players in the Power 5 with a hitting percentage over .400 and over 100 blocks this season and is currently on pace to be the only player in Division I to be in the National Top 10 for hitting percentage for each of the last two seasons.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 24-2 record, ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll and No. 2 in the NCAA's most recent RPI rankings. They are coming off another 2-0 weekend in ACC play, reverse sweeping Georgia Tech and defeating North Carolina in straight sets. Louisville will be fighting for its ACC Title hopes on Friday, needing a win to stay in control of its own destiny. This will be the 32nd all-time meeting between Pitt and UL with Pitt winning the earlier match this season, in Pittsburgh, 3-2. Louisville leads the all-time series, 17-14.
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Pitt has won 15 consecutive road matches, the longest active streak in the country. Overall, the Panthers have won 18 matches in a row, the third longest active streak in the country, and the longest among Power 5 schools. Pitt is the only Power 5 team with an undefeated conference record. Pitt has lost just five sets since the start of October (36-5), the fewest in Power 5.
WEEK 13 SCHEDULE
| No. 7 Pitt at No. 4 Louisville | Friday, Nov. 18 | 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch |
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers swept Syracuse on senior night at the Fitzgerald Field House, extending its home winning streak against unranked ACC opponents to 41. Pitt dominated the match, hitting .367 as a team, tied for its highest in an ACC match this season, headlined by a career-best .467 hitting from Julianna Dalton. Dalton led the team with eight kills, as one of four Panthers to register at least five kills on .300 or better hitting in the match (also Serena Gray, Sabrina Starks and Valeria Vazquez Gomez).
TOPPLING THE TOP 10
Pitt is 4-0 against Top 10 opponents this season, taking wins at No. 7 BYU, No. 5 Ohio St., at No. 10 Georgia Tech and No. 2 Louisville. The Panthers' 4-match winning streak vs Top 10 teams is the longest in program history.
Pitt's 3-1 win over No. 7 BYU ended the Cougars' 30-match home winning streak. The Panthers swept No. 5 Ohio State in the first home sweep of a Top 5 opponent in program history. Pitt then defeated No. 10 Georgia Tech, 3-1, at McCamish Pavilion, stay perfect, 6-0, when playing at Georgia Tech. They became the second program in the history of Pitt Athletics to record four Top 10 victories in the same season (1989 Men's Basketball) after defeating No. 2 Louisville in 5 sets. Taking down No. 2 Louisville was the highest ranked win in program history.
No team in Pitt Athletics history has won 5 matches against Top 10 opponents in the same season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
One of Coach Fisher's proudest achievements this season has been on defense. Pitt recorded more or the same amount of digs as its opponents in 24 of 27 matches this year and are holding opponents to just .141 hitting. That is the second-lowest opponents' hitting percentage in the Power 5 and on pace for the lowest number in program history for a single season.
Ashley Browske has been the defensive catalyst this year. She set the tone defensively in the very first weekend of the season, making 48 digs (4.36/set) at the Texas A&M Invitational, her highest average over a three-match span in her career. She is averaging a career-best 3.26 digs/ set this season, after setting her previous high point with 3.03. She made 12 digs in two sets at High Point, marking her 2nd match averaging six digs/set or better this season (6.33/set against Hawaii). After doing so just once in her earlier seasons.
Valeria Vazquez Gomez made a career-high 24 digs in Pitt's 4 set win over NC State earlier this season. It was the most by a Pitt non-defensive specialist since 2017 (Nika Markovic – 27 vs. St, Mary's).
Five different Panthers have set career-bests this year in single season digs: Dalton, Rachel Fairbanks, Cat Flood, Emmy Klika and Vazquez Gomez. While six different Panthers have set career-bests in single season blocks: Courtney Buzzerio, Dalton, Fairbanks, Flood, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Vazquez Gomez.
Serena Gray has made 103 blocks this season, marking consecutive 100+ block seasons for the first time in her career. She is doing so while also maintaining her elite efficiency on offense. Gray is hitting .426 this season (191 kills on 350 attempts), good enough for 7th in Division I. She is one of three players in the Power 5 with a hitting percentage over .400 and over 100 blocks this season and is currently on pace to be the only player in Division I to be in the National Top 10 for hitting percentage for each of the last two seasons.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 24-2 record, ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll and No. 2 in the NCAA's most recent RPI rankings. They are coming off another 2-0 weekend in ACC play, reverse sweeping Georgia Tech and defeating North Carolina in straight sets. Louisville will be fighting for its ACC Title hopes on Friday, needing a win to stay in control of its own destiny. This will be the 32nd all-time meeting between Pitt and UL with Pitt winning the earlier match this season, in Pittsburgh, 3-2. Louisville leads the all-time series, 17-14.
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