Pitt
Morehead State
No. 1 Overall Seed Pitt to Host First Two Rounds of NCAA Tournament This Weekend
12/5/2024 2:45:00 PM | General, Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 overall seed Pitt volleyball team (29-1, 19-1 ACC) is ready to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend, beginning play against Morehead State on Friday night at 7 p.m. With a win, the Panthers will play the winner of Oklahoma/UTEP on Saturday night at 7 p.m. for a spot in the Regional Semifinals. This would mark Pitt's fifth straight season advancing to that stage.
Pitt and Morehead State meet for the fourth time in program history, and the Panthers lead the series 2-1. The last time the two played was in 2021 as Pitt earned the sweep. The Eagles most recently made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2020 where they beat Creighton in five sets to advance to the Round of 32. Ultimately, they were defeated by Florida in a sweep. Morehead State compiled an 18-14 overall record and went 12-6 in the Ohio Valley.
The Panthers and Sooners will potentially play for the second time in the Round of 32. Pitt upended Oklahoma in 2018 in four sets in their only meeting. Oklahoma compiled a 14-10 overall record and 8-8 SEC record coming into the match. The Sooners saw their name appear in the NCAA Selection Show for the first time since 2019 as they fell in the first round in straight sets to Rice.
With a win from each team, Pitt and UTEP will meet for the first time. The Miners had an impressive regular season record of 27-5, including a 16-2 slate in Conference USA.
OUTRIGHT ACC CHAMPS!
• The Pitt Panthers are the 2024 outright ACC Champions for the third time in program history and sixth overall.
• This is the third consecutive ACC Championship for Pitt.
• The win over No. 3 Louisville secured a share of the title, and the victory over No. 19 Georgia Tech allowed Pitt the outright championship.
OUR COACH
• Head coach Dan Fisher was named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year after leading Pitt to a 29-1 overall record and 19-1 ACC record.
• This marks Fisher's third ACC Coach of the Year accolade and first since 2018.
BALLER BABCOCK
• Olivia Babcock earned the ACC Player of the Year award for the first time in her career.
• The sophomore sensation leads the conference in points per set (5.87), kills per set (4.54) and aces per set (0.69).
• Babcock is the second player to earn the honor in program history as Pitt great Kayla Lund did so in 2019 and 2020.
NUMBER ONE
• For the first time in program history, Pitt is the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Panthers have less losses than any other team in the country and are currently number one in RPI.
AWARDS ON AWARDS
• In addition to ACC Coach of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, all seven of Pitt's starters were named all-conference.
• Olivia Babcock, Rachel Fairbanks, Torrey Stafford and Bre Kelley saw their names on the First Team, and Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Emmy Klika earned Second Team honors.
• Ryla Jones was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team for her impact in her rookie campaign.
STAT STUFFING STAFFORD
• For the first time this season, Torrey Stafford was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week after wins over No. 3 Louisville and No. 19 Georgia Tech.
• She averaged 3.67 kills per set and 2.33 digs per set in the wins over No. 3 Louisville and No. 19 Georgia Tech., hitting .397.
• Stafford recorded 17 kills and 13 digs for a double-double against Louisville, hitting .405 and 16 kills, eight digs and an assist in the win over Georgia Tech to clinch the outright championship.
PITT PREVAILS
• The Panthers upended No. 19 Georgia Tech in five sets to finish the ACC slate.
• Bre Kelley notched a career-high 15 kills, and Olivia Babcock recorded her second career triple-double with 18 kills, 12 digs and a career-high 10 blocks.
• Rachel Fairbanks captained the Pitt offense, recording 46 assists and 10 digs for a double-double.
HOW THE CARDS FELL
• Pitt defeated Louisville for the fourth straight time to secure a share of the ACC Championship in the KFC Yum Center.
• Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford combined for 40 kills, and Rachel Fairbanks registered a match-high 47 assists and nine digs.
• Bre Kelley had a night on the defensive end, notching a match-high seven blocks.
OMAHA BOUND!
• Graduate outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez heard her name in the PVF draft, selected by the Omaha Supernovas with the sixth pick in the fourth round.
• She joins Pitt volleyball alumni Courtney Buzzerio, Kayla Lund, Leketor Member-Meneh, Chiamaka Nwokolo and Layne Van Buskirk in the league.
BIG TIME BABCOCK
• Olivia Babcock earned her second AVCA National Player of the Week award of the season after her impressive performances against No. 22 Florida State and Miami.
• This was the third time of her career Babcock has been honored.
• She is the only player in program history to have more than one national weekly award to her name as Pitt great Kayla Lund is the only other Panther to add the accolade to her resume.
ACC NODS
• Rachel Fairbanks and Olivia Babcock were named ACC Setter and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively, after two sweeps against No. 22 Florida State and Miami.
• Fairbanks averaged 12.00 assists per set and 2.17 digs per set.
• She set Pitt to a .438 team hitting percentage for both matches.
• Babcock averaged 8.08 points per set, 6.50 kills per set, hitting .525, 1.17 blocks per set, 1.17 digs per set and 1.00 ace per set.
BABCOCK MAKES HISTORY
• Olivia Babcock is now the all-time program leader for most aces in a single season in the 25-point scoring era with 64 aces.
• She reached the feat with her third ace of the night against Miami (11/17) and ended with five for the match.
• Babcock passed Lindsey Zitzke who recorded 53 aces in the 2011 season.
TERRIFIC TRIO
• Rachel Fairbanks, Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford have been named semifinalists for the 2024 AVCA Division I Player of the Year award.
• Pitt's three nominees lead the country, and Nebraska is the only other team to have more than one (2).
• All three were named AVCA All-Americans last season and are on track to earn the award once again.
WELL-OILED MACHINE
• Pitt ranks among the top 20 in the country for hitting percentage (1st - .341), opponent hitting percentage (1st - .122), blocks per set (4th - 2.94), aces per set (10th - 1.98), assists per set (11th -13.15) and kills per set (18th - 14.05).
FAIRBANKS RUNS THE SHOW
• The reigning ACC Setter of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, Rachel Fairbanks, is putting up solid performances in her fourth and final season in Pittsburgh.
• The senior is 27th in the nation in assists per set (10.49) and has recorded double digit digs in seven matches.
SENSATIONAL STAFFORD
• Torrey Stafford is hitting .377 for the season, good for 38th in the nation and first among all Division I outside hitters.
• No other Power Four outside hitter ranks in the top 150 in hitting percentage.
KELLEY HEATING UP
• Middle blocker Bre Kelley has recorded at least five blocks in 13 matches this season.
• Her ACC Defensive Player of the Week award (10/21) was the first of her career.
• Bre's .800 hitting percentage against NC State is a career high (eight kills on 10 attempts).
• Her ten blocks against No. 4 Louisville (10/25) tied a career high and are a season high.
DYNAMIC DUO
• Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock have impressed in their sophomore campaigns after earning All-American status as rookies.
• Babcock ranks among the top 25 in the nation in aces per set (2nd - 0.69), points per set (4th – 5.87) and kills per set (16th – 4.54) while Stafford ranks 38th in hitting percentage (0.377), 90th in points per set (4.32) and 86th in kills per set (3.76).
• Babcock or Stafford have either led or tied for the team high in kills in each match this season.
VOLLEYBALL TAHN
• Nine Pitt volleyball matches have sold out this season (Penn State, Cal, Stanford, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Miami and Georgia Tech).
• Eight of those nine took place in the Fitzgerald Field House while the victory over the Nittany Lions was in the Petersen Events Center in front of a record-breaking 11,800 people.
FISHER IN HIS 12TH SEASON
• Head coach Dan Fisher is in his 12th season at the helm of the Pitt volleyball team.
• He is building upon his unprecedented success, earned his sixth ACC Championship and is seeking his first National Championship.
• Fisher currently holds a 316-68 overall record, good for a .823 winning percentage.
HOW THE CARDS FELL
• Pitt took down No. 3 Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center for a season sweep and a share of the ACC Championship, its third straight.
• Olivia Babcock tied her career high with 23 kills and added five blocks, five digs and two aces.
• Torrey Stafford and Rachel Fairbanks tied their season high in kills (17) and assists (47), respectfully.
LEADER OF THE PACK
• The Panthers defeated NC State in straight sets in Reynolds Gym.
• Olivia Babcock led the way with 17 kills (hitting .577), eight digs, three aces, two blocks and two assists.
• Rachel Fairbanks notched 33 assists and set the Panthers to a .437 team hitting clip, the highest opponent hitting percentage NC State has allowed this season.
DOWNED THE DEACS
• Pitt swept Wake Forest in Winston-Salem for its 16th ACC victory.
• Torrey Stafford recorded a match-high 16 kills hitting .483 while adding 10 digs, three blocks, three assists and an ace.
COUNT 'EM!
• Pitt notched its eighth top 25 win of the season against No. 25 North Carolina.
• Five of those eight wins have come against ACC opponents (No. 13 Georgia Tech, No. 15 SMU, No. 5 Stanford, No. 4 Louisville, No. 25 North Carolina).
• The Panthers are 3-0 against top five teams this year (No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Louisville, No. 5 Stanford).
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
• Rachel Fairbanks earned a weekly conference honor (ACC Co-Setter of the Week) for the third time this season after two wins over No. 4 Louisville and Notre Dame.
• She averaged 10.33 assists per set, 2.00 digs per set, 0.33 aces per set and 0.33 blocks per set in two wins on the weekend.
• Fairbanks notched 46 assists, nine digs and two blocks in the five-set victory over No. 4 Louisville, setting the Panthers to a .262 hitting percentage.
• She concluded the weekend by recording a season-high 47 assists, nine digs, three aces and a block in the win over Notre Dame, setting Pitt to a .279 hitting percentage.
