University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Thursday, December 15
Omaha, Neb.
9:30 p.m.
Pitt
vs
Louisville
Pitt Prepares for Final Four Battle with Louisville
12/14/2022 5:02:00 PM | Volleyball
The Panthers take on Louisville at approximately 9:30 pm ET tomorrow
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 2 seeded Pitt (31-3, 17-1 ACC) will take on No. 1 seeded Louisville (30-2, 17-1 ACC) in the National Championship Semifinals on Thursday at approximately 9:30 ET inside the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb. The Panthers are playing for their first appearance in the National Championship match in this, their second consecutive Final Four appearance.
Final Four Schedule
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This is Pitt's 18th NCAA Tournament Appearance. Pitt is 18-17 all-time in NCAA Tournament Matches with a 15-6 record under Dan Fisher. This is the Panthers second straight appearance in a NCAA Tournament National Semifinal. Pitt is 11-2 in the NCAA Tournament over the last three years, tied with Texas for the second most wins in Division I, behind Wisconsin (12-2).
QUICK HITS
Pitt is the only Division I team with at least 30 wins in each of the last 4 seasons (excluding 2020 season).
Earlier today, it was announced that Courtney Buzzerio and Serena Gray had been named 1st Team All-American, marking the first time in program history multiple Panthers have made the 1st Team. Valeria Vazquez Gomez was named 2nd Team All-America with Rachel Fairbanks earning 3rd Team All-American honors. The four honorees ties last season for the most in program history.
The Panthers have committed the fewest service errors of any Final Four team (172). No other team in the field is below 200. In the tournament, Pitt has made 21 aces to only 14 errors, the next fewest errors from a team still in the field is 27, San Diego.
Pitt is looking to become the first women's sport in Pitt history to reach the National Championship.
Buzzerio has the third most kills in the tournament (69) and is eight shy of Pitt's all-time NCAA Tournament record, set last year by Leketor Member-Meneh. Nobody in Division I has a higher hitting percentage (.329) with more attacks (985) than Buzzerio. The last time a Power 5 pin hitter has hit over .329 with at least 980 attempts in a season was Lisa Henning (Mizzou - 2013).
MADISON REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Panthers went on the road to Madison, Wisconsin for the NCAA Regional rounds, taking down SEC Co-Champions, Florida, in the semifinals before overcoming the 2021 National Champions and 2022 Big Ten Champions Wisconsin in the Regional Final.
The Panthers set a program record with 88 digs against Wisconsin, the most digs in an NCAA Tournament match in the modern scoring era. Vazquez Gomez led the charge with 22 digs, becoming just the third Panther in program history to achieve 20+ digs in an NCAA Tournament match.
Buzzerio was named Regional MVP, finishing with 37 kills (4.11 kills/set) including the match clinching kill in the fifth set. Rachel Fairbanks was named to the All-Region team, alongside Chiamaka Nwokolo. It was the second straight All-Region team award for Fairbanks, who was named to the All-Pittsburgh region team last season. She is the first Panther to ever win the award multiple times. Nwokolo led the Panthers with a .436 hitting percentage at the Regional, making 20 kills on just 39 swings.
Pitt became the first team in NCAA Tournament history to win a set, let alone a match, against the defending national champion when they are hosting an Elite 8 match.
RECORD SETTING OPENING WEEKEND
Pitt set a multitude of records this past weekend in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. A total of 5,481 fans were in attendance throughout the weekend, marking the highest attended NCAA Tournament weekend in program history. The 2,814 in the crowd for the win over BYU was the highest attended Volleyball NCAA Tournament match in venue history at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt delivered its most efficient offensive display in Tournament history against Colgate, delivering 48 kills on .381 hitting. Against BYU, Fairbanks' triple-double was the first in an NCAA Tournament match in Pitt history and the only three-set triple double in the NCAA Tournament in the modern scoring era. Buzzerio's 23 kills on .475 hitting set a Pitt record for the most kills in a Tournament match and the highest hit % with 20+ kills.
That high-powered Panther offense led to 17.33 kills/set through the first two matches of the tournament – the highest in the nation after the first weekend.
AVCA AWARDS PITT WITH ALL-REGION HONORS
For the first time in program history, the University of Pittsburgh Volleyball program has been awarded both the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Regional Coach of the Year and Player of the Year awards as Dan Fisher and Courtney Buzzerio have been recognized as the best in the East Coast Region for the 2022 season.
In total, five Panthers were named AVCA All-East Coast Region: Courtney Buzzerio, Rachel Fairbanks, Serena Gray, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Valeria Vazquez Gomez. Buzzerio was named AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year and Coach Fisher was named AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year. It is tied with the 2019 season for the most All-Region award winners in program history.
Buzzerio becomes just the second Panther to ever earn the award, joining Kayla Lund, AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Pitt has now won Regional Player of the Year in three of the last four seasons.
Coach Fisher has earned his third career AVCA Regional Coach of the Year honor after also doing so in 2017 and 2018.
Pitt has had at least three representatives on the AVCA All-Region list for each of the last seven seasons (since 2016).
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals are also returning to Final Four after falling to Wisconsin in the National Semifinals last season. This will be the third meeting of the season between the two ACC Co-Champions after both teams split the regular season series, the home team winning each time. Louisville's team defense has continued to be its strong suit in this tournament, holding opponents to just .152 hitting through the first four rounds, the second lowest of the Final Four teams, behind Texas (.108). This will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two schools with UL leading the series, 14-18. The series is split, 5-5, in the Fisher vs. Busboom Kelly era (since 2017).
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Final Four Schedule
| No. 2 San Diego vs. No. 1 Texas | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 7 p.m. ET | Live Stats | ESPN |
| No. 2 Pitt vs. No. 1 Louisville | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 30 minutes after | Live Stats | ESP |
For championship information, click here
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This is Pitt's 18th NCAA Tournament Appearance. Pitt is 18-17 all-time in NCAA Tournament Matches with a 15-6 record under Dan Fisher. This is the Panthers second straight appearance in a NCAA Tournament National Semifinal. Pitt is 11-2 in the NCAA Tournament over the last three years, tied with Texas for the second most wins in Division I, behind Wisconsin (12-2).
QUICK HITS
Pitt is the only Division I team with at least 30 wins in each of the last 4 seasons (excluding 2020 season).
Earlier today, it was announced that Courtney Buzzerio and Serena Gray had been named 1st Team All-American, marking the first time in program history multiple Panthers have made the 1st Team. Valeria Vazquez Gomez was named 2nd Team All-America with Rachel Fairbanks earning 3rd Team All-American honors. The four honorees ties last season for the most in program history.
The Panthers have committed the fewest service errors of any Final Four team (172). No other team in the field is below 200. In the tournament, Pitt has made 21 aces to only 14 errors, the next fewest errors from a team still in the field is 27, San Diego.
Pitt is looking to become the first women's sport in Pitt history to reach the National Championship.
Buzzerio has the third most kills in the tournament (69) and is eight shy of Pitt's all-time NCAA Tournament record, set last year by Leketor Member-Meneh. Nobody in Division I has a higher hitting percentage (.329) with more attacks (985) than Buzzerio. The last time a Power 5 pin hitter has hit over .329 with at least 980 attempts in a season was Lisa Henning (Mizzou - 2013).
MADISON REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Panthers went on the road to Madison, Wisconsin for the NCAA Regional rounds, taking down SEC Co-Champions, Florida, in the semifinals before overcoming the 2021 National Champions and 2022 Big Ten Champions Wisconsin in the Regional Final.
The Panthers set a program record with 88 digs against Wisconsin, the most digs in an NCAA Tournament match in the modern scoring era. Vazquez Gomez led the charge with 22 digs, becoming just the third Panther in program history to achieve 20+ digs in an NCAA Tournament match.
Buzzerio was named Regional MVP, finishing with 37 kills (4.11 kills/set) including the match clinching kill in the fifth set. Rachel Fairbanks was named to the All-Region team, alongside Chiamaka Nwokolo. It was the second straight All-Region team award for Fairbanks, who was named to the All-Pittsburgh region team last season. She is the first Panther to ever win the award multiple times. Nwokolo led the Panthers with a .436 hitting percentage at the Regional, making 20 kills on just 39 swings.
Pitt became the first team in NCAA Tournament history to win a set, let alone a match, against the defending national champion when they are hosting an Elite 8 match.
RECORD SETTING OPENING WEEKEND
Pitt set a multitude of records this past weekend in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. A total of 5,481 fans were in attendance throughout the weekend, marking the highest attended NCAA Tournament weekend in program history. The 2,814 in the crowd for the win over BYU was the highest attended Volleyball NCAA Tournament match in venue history at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt delivered its most efficient offensive display in Tournament history against Colgate, delivering 48 kills on .381 hitting. Against BYU, Fairbanks' triple-double was the first in an NCAA Tournament match in Pitt history and the only three-set triple double in the NCAA Tournament in the modern scoring era. Buzzerio's 23 kills on .475 hitting set a Pitt record for the most kills in a Tournament match and the highest hit % with 20+ kills.
That high-powered Panther offense led to 17.33 kills/set through the first two matches of the tournament – the highest in the nation after the first weekend.
AVCA AWARDS PITT WITH ALL-REGION HONORS
For the first time in program history, the University of Pittsburgh Volleyball program has been awarded both the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Regional Coach of the Year and Player of the Year awards as Dan Fisher and Courtney Buzzerio have been recognized as the best in the East Coast Region for the 2022 season.
In total, five Panthers were named AVCA All-East Coast Region: Courtney Buzzerio, Rachel Fairbanks, Serena Gray, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Valeria Vazquez Gomez. Buzzerio was named AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year and Coach Fisher was named AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year. It is tied with the 2019 season for the most All-Region award winners in program history.
Buzzerio becomes just the second Panther to ever earn the award, joining Kayla Lund, AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Pitt has now won Regional Player of the Year in three of the last four seasons.
Coach Fisher has earned his third career AVCA Regional Coach of the Year honor after also doing so in 2017 and 2018.
Pitt has had at least three representatives on the AVCA All-Region list for each of the last seven seasons (since 2016).
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals are also returning to Final Four after falling to Wisconsin in the National Semifinals last season. This will be the third meeting of the season between the two ACC Co-Champions after both teams split the regular season series, the home team winning each time. Louisville's team defense has continued to be its strong suit in this tournament, holding opponents to just .152 hitting through the first four rounds, the second lowest of the Final Four teams, behind Texas (.108). This will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two schools with UL leading the series, 14-18. The series is split, 5-5, in the Fisher vs. Busboom Kelly era (since 2017).
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Players Mentioned
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