Three Panthers Named Preseason All-ACC
8/23/2022 5:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Pitt picked No. 2 in ACC preseason coaches’ poll
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh has earned three preseason all-conference selections, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday. Pitt was awarded the No. 2 spot in the ACC Preseason Poll while Serena Gray, Courtney Buzzerio and Rachel Fairbanks were named to the 18-member all-conference team.
For the fifth straight season, Pitt has at least three student-athletes named to the all-conference squad. Three-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Gray was named to the team for the second consecutive season after leading the Panthers in aces (43) blocks (132.0) and hitting percentage (.417) last year. Buzzerio, a transfer from Iowa, was named All-Big Ten in each of the last two seasons, registering the second most kills/set in the conference last season (4.07). Fairbanks has earned her first ACC recognition after starting all five of Pitt's NCAA Tournament matches last season. She is one of two setters on the preseason list, alongside Miami's Savannah Vach.
The Panthers earned five of a possible 15 first-place votes in the poll, finishing with 185 points, just six behind defending ACC Champions, Louisville.
Head Coach Dan Fisher will begin his 10th season at Pitt on Friday, August 26, at the Texas A&M Invitational. The No. 6-ranked Panthers, the highest preseason ranking in program history, will open the tournament against No. 25 San Diego (3 p.m.) before taking on Hawai'I (Aug. 27) and Texas A&M (Aug. 28).
The Panthers return four starters from last year's Final Four team: Gray, Fairbanks, 2020 AVCA All-American Chiamaka Nwokolo and Ashley Browske. They are joined by the Ninth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, headlined by three Power 5 transfers: Buzzerio, Julianna Dalton and Cam Ennis.
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Emma Clothier, Florida State, Sr., MB
Julia Bergmann, Georgia Tech, Sr., OH
Bianca Bertolino, Georgia Tech, So., OH
Erin Moss, Georgia Tech, Sr., MB
Claire Chaussee, Louisville, Gr., OH
Anna DeBeer, Louisville, Jr., OH
Aiko Jones, Louisville, Sr., OPP
Elena Scott, Louisville, So., L/DS
Amaya Tillman, Louisville, Sr., MB
Janice Leao, Miami, Sr., MB
Savannah Vach, Miami, Sr., S
Kaya Merkler, North Carolina, Jr., MH
Charley Niego, North Carolina, Gr., OH
Mabrey Shaffmaster, North Carolina, So., OH
Courtney Buzzerio, Pitt, Gr., RS
Rachel Fairbanks, Pitt, So., S
Serena Gray, Pitt, Gr., MB
Polina Shemanova, Syracuse, Gr., OH
PITT'S HISTORY IN THE ACC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
2022: Second
2021: First
2020: First
2019: First
2018: First
2017: Third
2016: Fifth
2015: Seventh
2014: Ninth
2013: 13th
FULL SEASON TICKETS
NEW IN 2022: All seating in the Fitzgerald Field House will be reserved. Season ticket holders will be able to catch the action from the same seats all season long.
Benefits for Season Ticketholders:
Fans purchasing season tickets online at PittsburghPanthers.com will be assigned the best available seat(s). To select specific seats, please call 412-648-8308 or email mcoates@athletics.pitt.edu.
PITT VOLLEYBALL ON TELEVISION
The team will be featured on national television four times in 2022: once on ESPNU (vs. Louisville 10/23) and three times on ACC Network (ACCN), the 24/7 national platform dedicated to ACC sports. All home matches, with the exception of Louisville, can be found on ACC Network Extra.
Owned and operated by ESPN in partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference, ACC Network (ACCN) and its digital platform ACCNX is a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports that launched on August 22, 2019. ACCN televises more than 500 regular-season and tournament games from across the conference's 27 sponsored sports plus a complement of news and information shows and original programming. Together, ACCN and its digital platform, ACCNX, combine to feature more than 1,500 ACC events each year. ESPN has been televising ACC content since 1979 and has exclusive rights to every conference-controlled game across all sports and championships.
Carriage agreements are in place with the following video providers: AT&T TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH Network, fuboTV, Google Fiber, Hulu+ Live TV, Mediacom, Optimum, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, YouTube TV, members of the NCTC, NRTC and Vivicast, among others. All ACCN games will also be available on the ESPN app to authenticated subscribers. Fans interested in learning more about ACCN can visit www.GetACCN.com.
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For the fifth straight season, Pitt has at least three student-athletes named to the all-conference squad. Three-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Gray was named to the team for the second consecutive season after leading the Panthers in aces (43) blocks (132.0) and hitting percentage (.417) last year. Buzzerio, a transfer from Iowa, was named All-Big Ten in each of the last two seasons, registering the second most kills/set in the conference last season (4.07). Fairbanks has earned her first ACC recognition after starting all five of Pitt's NCAA Tournament matches last season. She is one of two setters on the preseason list, alongside Miami's Savannah Vach.
The Panthers earned five of a possible 15 first-place votes in the poll, finishing with 185 points, just six behind defending ACC Champions, Louisville.
Head Coach Dan Fisher will begin his 10th season at Pitt on Friday, August 26, at the Texas A&M Invitational. The No. 6-ranked Panthers, the highest preseason ranking in program history, will open the tournament against No. 25 San Diego (3 p.m.) before taking on Hawai'I (Aug. 27) and Texas A&M (Aug. 28).
The Panthers return four starters from last year's Final Four team: Gray, Fairbanks, 2020 AVCA All-American Chiamaka Nwokolo and Ashley Browske. They are joined by the Ninth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, headlined by three Power 5 transfers: Buzzerio, Julianna Dalton and Cam Ennis.
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
- Louisville, 191 points (10 first place votes)
- Pitt, 185 points (5 first place votes)
- Georgia Tech, 173 points
- Miami, 150 points
- Florida State, 145 points
- North Carolina, 134 points
- NC State, 116 points
- Duke, 105 points
- Notre Dame, 87 points
- Clemson, 72 points
- Wake Forest, 63 points
- Virginia Tech, 48 points
- Boston College, 39 points
- Virginia, 36 points
- Syracuse, 31 points
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Emma Clothier, Florida State, Sr., MB
Julia Bergmann, Georgia Tech, Sr., OH
Bianca Bertolino, Georgia Tech, So., OH
Erin Moss, Georgia Tech, Sr., MB
Claire Chaussee, Louisville, Gr., OH
Anna DeBeer, Louisville, Jr., OH
Aiko Jones, Louisville, Sr., OPP
Elena Scott, Louisville, So., L/DS
Amaya Tillman, Louisville, Sr., MB
Janice Leao, Miami, Sr., MB
Savannah Vach, Miami, Sr., S
Kaya Merkler, North Carolina, Jr., MH
Charley Niego, North Carolina, Gr., OH
Mabrey Shaffmaster, North Carolina, So., OH
Courtney Buzzerio, Pitt, Gr., RS
Rachel Fairbanks, Pitt, So., S
Serena Gray, Pitt, Gr., MB
Polina Shemanova, Syracuse, Gr., OH
PITT'S HISTORY IN THE ACC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
2022: Second
2021: First
2020: First
2019: First
2018: First
2017: Third
2016: Fifth
2015: Seventh
2014: Ninth
2013: 13th
FULL SEASON TICKETS
NEW IN 2022: All seating in the Fitzgerald Field House will be reserved. Season ticket holders will be able to catch the action from the same seats all season long.
Benefits for Season Ticketholders:
- Save money on every match, instead of buying separately
- Flexibility to exchange tickets If unable to attend a match (restrictions may apply)
- Same seat for entire season
- Exclusive season ticket holder gift
Fans purchasing season tickets online at PittsburghPanthers.com will be assigned the best available seat(s). To select specific seats, please call 412-648-8308 or email mcoates@athletics.pitt.edu.
PITT VOLLEYBALL ON TELEVISION
The team will be featured on national television four times in 2022: once on ESPNU (vs. Louisville 10/23) and three times on ACC Network (ACCN), the 24/7 national platform dedicated to ACC sports. All home matches, with the exception of Louisville, can be found on ACC Network Extra.
Owned and operated by ESPN in partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference, ACC Network (ACCN) and its digital platform ACCNX is a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports that launched on August 22, 2019. ACCN televises more than 500 regular-season and tournament games from across the conference's 27 sponsored sports plus a complement of news and information shows and original programming. Together, ACCN and its digital platform, ACCNX, combine to feature more than 1,500 ACC events each year. ESPN has been televising ACC content since 1979 and has exclusive rights to every conference-controlled game across all sports and championships.
Carriage agreements are in place with the following video providers: AT&T TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH Network, fuboTV, Google Fiber, Hulu+ Live TV, Mediacom, Optimum, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, YouTube TV, members of the NCTC, NRTC and Vivicast, among others. All ACCN games will also be available on the ESPN app to authenticated subscribers. Fans interested in learning more about ACCN can visit www.GetACCN.com.
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Players Mentioned
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