University of Pittsburgh Athletics
5/1/2024 1:00:00 PM | General, Women's Soccer, Volleyball
The year 2023 will be long-remembered as a momentous one for the University of Pittsburgh's fall women's sports programs. Pitt volleyball continued its run of national excellence, claiming another ACC title and appearing in a third-consecutive Final Four. On the pitch, Pitt women's soccer rose to unknown heights, setting numerous program records and appearing in its first-ever Elite Eight.
Volleyball
With his team facing a two-set deficit and on the brink of elimination against its biggest rival, Pitt volleyball coach Dan Fisher knew that there was a key element firmly on his side. In fact, there were more than 2,800 of them.
Pitt's fans, loud and enthusiastic throughout the NCAA quarterfinal match on Dec. 9, 2023, helped to will the Panthers back for their second reverse sweep of the season over Louisville, punching a ticket to the program's third consecutive Final Four.
The victory put an exclamation point on another remarkable year for Pitt volleyball, which finished with a 29-5 record, a split of the ACC title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"It was a year that moved our program forward," says Fisher. "We were able to solidify ourselves as one of the best teams in the country, year in and year out. We've done it four years in a row, making deep runs in the tournament. It's really hard, so I'm proud of our consistency. It was a hugely successful season in the eyes of the coaches."
Not only did Pitt's program become the only one in the nation to be represented in the last three national semifinals, but it did so with a changing cast in each of those years.
When the Panthers first broke through to the Final Four in 2021, they did so with longtime net-front veterans like Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee leading the way. In 2022, a key transfer in Courtney Buzzerio paced the Panthers' attack. But this team was led largely by two first-year players, Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford, who finished first and second on the team in kills.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) tapped Babcock as its 2023 Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-American. Stafford was named a Third Team All-American and, like Babcock, was named to the 2023 All-ACC First Team.
"It's certainly one of the things that makes the coaches proud," says Fisher. "We've been hard to define. In the early years, we got some internationals and some transfers. Last year, we got some big transfers. This year, we did it mostly with players we developed and freshman players."
In addition to the honors for Babcock and Stafford, senior Rachel Fairbanks was named ACC Setter of the Year and was an AVCA First Team All-American and First Team All-ACC. Libero/defensive specialist Emmy Klika and outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez were named Second Team All-ACC. Chiamaka Nwokolo and Emma Monks were named Second Team All-ACC and Monks/ Klika were named AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. The Panthers had a program-high seven All-ACC performers and five All-Americans.
Next season, Pitt will lose a couple of veteran players in setter Lexis Akeo and middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo, who each had five-year runs with the Panthers. But their impact, like other top players who have passed the torch before them, will certainly be remembered.
"The best thing that Lexis and Chia did was model what we do for our younger players," Fisher says. "The mark of a good leader isn't just what they do when they're around, it's what the team does when they're not around anymore. For Chia and Lexis, they did a good job with Babcock and Stafford. Babcock and Stafford know how to do it now, and I'm excited to work with our younger players."
That group of players—as well as Fisher and his staff—haven't just won matches. They've also inspired a healthy contingent of people, particularly young ones, to take an interest in a sport that has gained in popularity over the last couple of years.
"We obviously don't do it for that reason, but it's certainly nice to have people appreciate what you do," says Fisher of the impact his team has made in the burgeoning volleyball community. "It felt this year like we really turned the corner, as a sport, of officially being mainstream."
The Panthers celebrate their fifth ACC Championship after sweeping Syracuse.
The Panthers raise the Regional Championship trophy after completing the reverse sweep over Louisville in the Elite Eight.
The numbers back that up. More than 1.1 million people watched (online and on TV) the NCAA semifinals in Tampa, Florida, in which Pitt fell to Nebraska in front of 19,598 fans. The national championship pulled in more than 1.7 million viewers on ABC—going up against a full Sunday of NFL football on television.
"Across the country, we kind of reached this tipping point where there were watch parties, there were people in bars who were asking to put games on," Fisher adds. "There was a general awareness where people wanted to watch the games."
And that was represented locally. Three Pitt volleyball matches were broadcast for the first time on local radio via 93.7 The Fan. TV and streaming numbers were strong throughout the season, and Pitt finished 11th in total attendance in the NCAA. That included the largest crowd in program history (8,865 fans) in Pitt's regular-season win over Louisville in November at the Petersen Events Center.
A month later, the NCAA quarterfinal crowd—which included former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger—was one of several that packed the Fitzgerald Field House, which continued to be one the nation's most difficult venues for opponents.
"In the early days, we'd lose recruits because they wanted to go somewhere with a bigger fan base," Fisher says. "We're in awe and appreciative and know it's now a big factor in recruiting and a home advantage. We saw it this year with some big come-from-behind victories. The crowd was certainly a big part of it."
And for Fisher, who has firmly established the program as a national contender, the goal is to continue to build those crowds and the interest and to get better following a season that featured nine wins over nationally ranked opponents.
Pitt will do so with a new arena, part of the Victory Heights project, coming in 2025. But there are still more needs before and beyond that.
"The name, image and likeness program; the fundraising; the facilities—those are essential now as part of being a top program," Fisher says. "That's helped us get here, and we need to keep pushing to keep us relevant. Everything you see in other sports, like football, that's happening at our level, too."
Fisher's hope is that with an inspired, supportive fan base, his program will be able to continue its trajectory, no matter what the roster looks like.
"Our main jobs, as coaches, is to create a special environment," he says, "one where we can get the most out of each group we have each year."
Women's Soccer
The University of Pittsburgh women's soccer program saw its most historic season yet in 2023, setting countless records on its way to its first NCAA tournament Elite Eight and ACC Tournament Semifinal appearances. Its journey this season was beyond extraordinary, as the team propelled itself past five top-25 programs, including three in the top 10.
The Panthers kicked off the season after coming back from their most historic year in 2022 with their highest preseason placement in program history at 14th. Pitt earned a top-25 ranking in eight of the 11 weeks of the United Soccer Coaches top-25 poll. The Panthers also received votes for three out of those 11 weeks of rankings.
This team was something special, and it was able to share these notable moments with its fans. Its time at home at Ambrose Urbanic Field was nothing short of historic.
The Panthers broke the record for the most home wins with nine on the season, remaining undefeated at home. Pitt saw many historic moments at home, including topping the Duke Blue Devils for the first time in program history, 2-1. And the fans regularly showed up to support their Pitt Panthers, setting the largest average attendance record for the season at 904 fans per game.
Fans fill the stands at Ambrose Urbanic Field for Pitt Women's Soccer's last home game of the 2023 regular season.
As the team's success continued to grow, Head Coach Randy Waldrum continued to ask, "Why not us?" The team went into various games where it felt like the rest of the nation was not on its side—but the team's mindset was on the contrary. Heading into the ACC Quarterfinals against the undefeated North Carolina Tar Heels, the Panthers were ready to prove others wrong. In the first 10-minute allotment of overtime, Amanda West sunk the game-winning goal off Landy Mertz's assist to top the Tar Heels and advance to the ACC Championship Semifinals for the first time in program history—altering the mindsets of those against them.
The team's momentum continued to snowball, as the Panthers secured a spot in the NCAA Championship Elite Eight for the first time after knocking off Ohio State in the First Round, Arkansas 4-3 in the Second Round, and Memphis 3-0 in the Third Round. Pitt saw its historic season come to an end in the Fourth Round of the NCAA Tournament against the reigning national champions, Florida State.
Up and down the roster were monumental players who together set the tone for this historic season. Fifth years Anna Bout, Ashton Gordon, Mertz and West left their mark on Pitt's history and will be names that fans will never forget.
West truly was the best. She recorded her 50th career goal in the game against Memphis in the NCAA Third Round, keeping her name in all-time scoring records. The forward also has her name in the records for total career assists (31) and total career points (131). West tacked on new accolades this season, adding United Soccer Coaches All- Atlantic Region Second Team and All- ACC Second Team honors to her resume.
Inside the game notes, Sarah Schupansky was named a Super Star, and her time on the pitch proved that title. The junior totaled 1,633 minutes of play, for which she registered a season program record of 36 points with her 11 goals and 14 assists. The Pittsburgh native was able to place 31 of 65 shots this season, securing three game-winning goals. Schupanksy also found herself on the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second Team, United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region Second Team and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team; earned United Soccer Coaches Scholar All- America accolades; and was named to the All-ACC First Team—becoming the first Panther to receive this honor.
For this record-breaking season, the Pitt women's soccer coaches were named the NCAA Atlantic Staff of the Year. Their direction led the Panthers to set program records for most wins overall (17), ACC wins (6), home wins (9), points (194), goals (64) and assists (66).
The Panthers ended their season the only way they knew how: by making history. The team found itself ranked sixth in the final United Soccer Coaches national ranking—the highest in program history.
