Pitt to Compete in Panther Challenge This Weekend

PITTSBURGH – The No. 8 Pitt volleyball team (6-1, 0-0 ACC) will compete in the Panther Challenge this weekend at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers will play No. 7 Oregon in a top-10 showdown on Thursday at 7 p.m. before hosting James Madison on Saturday at 7 p.m. and will wrap up the weekend against High Point on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three matches are available on ACCNX.

The Panthers and Ducks will play for only the third time in program history. Pitt holds a 2-0 record and most recently defeated Oregon in 2019 at home with a 3-1 victory. Oregon advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2022 and returns 2022 All-Americans Hannah Pukis and Mimi Colyer.

Pitt and James Madison have met four times, with Pitt winning every match. The most recent meeting between the two programs was in 1999 as the Panthers won in five set fashion. The Dukes won the 2022 Sun Belt Championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to BYU in three sets.

The Panthers take on High Point for the fourth time, with Pitt leading the series, 3-0. This is the second straight season the two programs have competed, with the Panthers coming out on top 3-1 in High Point last season. The Panthers also participated in the NCAA Tournament last year, falling to the University of Southern California in three sets in the Round of 64.

SWEET SWEEP
• Pitt looked impressive last weekend, sweeping both then No. 24 Marquette and Loyola Chicago.
• Chiamaka Nwokolo registered a season-high seven blocks against Loyola Chicago while Emma Monks averaged 2.0 blocks per set.

PANTHERS CLAIM ACC HONORS
• Olivia Babcock earned back-to-back ACC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday after registering 21 kills, eight blocks and seven digs last weekend.
• Emma Monks was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time after recording 13 kills, 12 blocks and a pair of digs against the Golden Eagles and Ramblers.

84 LUMBER SWEEP
• The Panthers swept the 84 Lumber Classic series against then No. 15 Kentucky. Pitt beat the Wildcats 3-0 in Lexington on Friday night and earned a 3-1 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
• Rachel Fairbanks registered her first double-double of the season with 25 assists and 15 digs.

BABCOCK STAYS HOT
•Freshman Olivia has impressed in her first five matches of her college career.
• She set a new career-high with 13 kills and seven blocks against No. 15 Kentucky while hitting .458.
• Babcock was awarded ACC Co-Freshman of the Week honors after a 24 kill, nine block weekend, all while hitting .479.
• This weekend came after she was named to the Ellesyn Invitational All-Tournament Team after her impressive first weekend in blue and gold.