No. 2 Pitt is Elite Again!!

Thursday, December 8

Madison, Wisc.

3:30 PM

Pitt

30-3,17-1ACC

Florida

25-6,15-3SEC

Florida

Pittsburgh

A graphic that reads "elite again, pitt volleyball advances to their third straight elite eight.

12/8/2022 8:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

Panthers take down Florida, 3-1, for third consecutive trip to Regional Final

MADISON, Wisc. – No. 2 seeded Pitt (30-3, 17-1 ACC) advanced to the Elite 8 for the third year in a row on Thursday afternoon, defeating Florida (25-6, 15-3 SEC) in four sets (25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 25-22) inside UW Field House in Madison, Wisc.

The Panthers will play the hosts, No. 1 Wisconsin (28-3, 19-1 Big 10) on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 8 p.m. ET.

"I thought on the night we were the better team in transition," Head Coach Dan Fisher said. "We showed a lot of grit, withstanding long rallies and often coming away from them with points. I was pleased with our service game and our poise in tough moments. It was a very good volleyball match with some high-level rallies. They pushed us to the edge and overall, I'm so proud of this group for advancing."

QUICK HITS

Pitt has advanced to its third straight Elite 8. One of three teams in Division I to do so (also Texas and Wisconsin)
The Panthers have lost only one set this tournament. They are tied with Texas and Wisconsin for the fewest NCAA Tournament sets lost in Division I over the last three seasons (11).
This is the 30^th win of the season for Pitt, marking the fourth straight 30-win campaign (excluding the 24-match COVID shortened season of 2020/21).
Pitt is the only team in the nation to have won 30 matches in each of the last four seasons.
Pitt leads Division I with 139 victories since 2018.
Courtney Buzzerio led the team with 19 kills while tying a season high in digs, with eight.
She led the team defensively alongside Rachel Fairbanks, who also finished with eight digs.
At the net, Buzzerio and Serena Gray led the way, making five blocks apiece.
Gray and Nwokolo were outstanding in the middle, combining for 17 kills on .405 hitting.
Gray made nine kills without committing an error, finishing with a hitting percentage of .409 – her fourth straight .400 hitting performance.
Her 22 attempts without an error is the second-most as a Panther, second only to her 14 kills, 24 attack, no error performance against Purdue in the 2021 Elite 8.
Cam Ennis set a season high, stepping into the outside hitter position to the tune of six kills.
Fairbanks set a new career-best for assists in an NCAA Tournament match, making 38, tied for the 5^th most in the modern scoring era by a Panther in a tournament match.
The service game proved to be the difference in the match with Pitt making four aces and only two errors while Florida made three aces with 11 errors.

SET 1: PITT 25 – FLORIDA 20
The Panthers got off to a good start, winning three of the first four points (3-1) only for the Gators to respond with an extended scoring run, taking the lead, 10-7. The momentum shifted with a Gator service error, leading the Panthers on a 8-2 scoring run with four kills and a block from Buzzerio. With the lead now in Panther control (15-12) the Pitt defense clamped down, UF cut the lead to one (21-20) only for Pitt to win the next four points to take the opener by five. Buzzerio led the team with six kills on .400 hitting while Fairbanks finished with two kills, nine assists and a team-best three digs.

SET 2: PITT 25 – FLORIDA 21
The second set started much like the first, with the Panthers lunging in front, 4-1, only for Florida to respond and tie the match, 9-9. But Pitt responded with a 5-0 scoring run thanks to two kills from Ennis and a block from Fairbanks and Nwokolo (14-9). The Panthers kept their foot on the gas pedal, extending the lead to as many as six points (18-12 and 22-16). Florida battled to the end, but Pitt held tough for a four-point victory. Buzzerio was elite once again, making seven kills to lead the way while Ennis kept hope alive on the back row with four digs.

SET 3: PITT 17 – FLORIDA 25
The offensive firepower came to a screeching halt in the third as Pitt struggled to find its footing. The Gators took advantage, posting their best offensive performance with their backs against the wall, winning the set by eight points. UF out-hit the Panthers .571 to -.030 in a forgettable set for Pitt.

SET 4: PITT 25 – FLORIDA 22
After a difficult third set, Pitt responded with another great start, getting in front, 6-2 with two kills and two blocks from Buzzerio. Florida fought back, to tie the match, 10-10, but the Panthers had the answer this time, going on a 4-0 run off the serving of Fairbanks to go in front, 14-10. The Gators never cut the lead to less than two from that point on as Pitt showed its experience and mental fortitude to a three-point win. Buzzerio, of course, polished off the win with her 19^th kill. She led a very balanced Panther attack in the fourth with four kills alongside three apiece from Vazquez Gomez, Fairbanks and Gray.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will take on No. 1 Wisconsin on December 10, in Madison for a spot in the Final Four. First serve is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

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