University of Pittsburgh Athletics
No. 4 Panthers Clash with No. 10 Oregon in Season Opener
8/29/2024 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 4 Pitt volleyball team (0-0, 0-0 ACC) opens the season in Eugene, Ore. to play the No. 10 Ducks (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET, before taking on Long Beach State (0-0, 0-0 Big West) in Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
The Ducks and Panthers are 2-2 in the overall series. Most recently, Pitt lost a close five set match against Oregon at the Fitzgerald Field House last September. Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock had 16 kills each, while Rachel Fairbanks nearly eclipsed a double-double with 29 assists and nine digs.
Pitt looks to win its first match against Long Beach State as it holds a 6-0 advantage in the series. The two programs have not played since 2007 when The Beach won in a tightly contested five set match in Long Beach.
FRESH FACES
• The Panthers welcome five true freshmen in Ryla Jones, Bianca Garibaldi, Kiana Dinn, Mallorie Meyer and Dalia Vîrlan.
• Jones and Garibaldi joined the team in January, Dinn and Meyer arrived in Pittsburgh this summer, and Vîrlan came right before preseason.
• Garibaldi hails from Argentina, Vîrlan is from Romania while Jones (Washington, D.C.), Meyer (Nebraska) and Dinn (Kentucky) come to Pittsburgh from the States.
• Pitt also recently signed senior transfer setter, Nisa Buzlutepe, from Istanbul, Turkey.
• She has one year of eligibility remaining after playing three seasons at Texas A&M.
AN EXPERIENCED BUNCH
• Ten Panthers return from the 2023 Final Four Team, including five All-Americans.
• Rachel Fairbanks, Olivia Babcock, Torrey Stafford, Emmy Klika and Valeria Vazquez Gomez all have notched All-American, All-ACC and All-Region awards in their careers.
PANTHERS ARE HOT
• Pitt is coming off three straight Final Fours, back-to-back ACC Championships and eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Panthers are the only team in the last three years to appear in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Final Fours and one of three to compete in the last four Elite Eights.
PITT IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE
• Olivia Babcock and Blaire Bayless competed with Team USA once again this summer.
• Babcock played with the Senior National Team in Anaheim, Calif., the only rising sophomore in NCAA volleyball to do so.
• Bayless trained with the U-19 National Team, winning the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Canada.
SCHEDULE DROP
• Pitt will once again undergo a competitive fall schedule, highlighted by 15 matches against 2023 NCAA Tournament participants, including five teams that advanced to at least the Sweet 16.
• Seven of the ten non-conference matchups are against teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
FISHER BEGINS 12TH SEASON
• Head Coach Dan Fisher is ready for his 12th season at the helm of the Pitt volleyball team.
• He looks to build upon his unprecedented success and is seeking his sixth ACC Championship and first National Championship.
• Fisher heads into the season with a 287-67 overall record, good for a .811 winning percentage.
FAIRBANKS RUNS THE SHOW
• The reigning ACC Setter of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, Rachel Fairbanks, is ready for her fourth and final season in Pittsburgh.
• With three returning All-American hitters, Bre Kelley coming back from injury and the impact of Cat Flood, Bianca Garibaldi, Ryla Jones, Blaire Bayless and Dalia Vîrlan, Rachel is prepped to have her best season yet.
DYNAMIC DUO RETURNS
• Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford return for their sophomore year in the blue and gold.
• The two combined for 792 kills, 361 digs, 198 blocks and 66 aces last season.
• The duo started every match throughout the season alongside senior libero Emmy Klika.
PRESEASON ALL-ACC
• Rachel Fairbanks, Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford were named to the Preseason All-ACC Team by the conference earlier this month.
• The trio of All-Americans led the Panther offense last season and look to do so again in 2024.
• This is Fairbanks' third straight season being named to the selective group.
ALL OUT DEFENSE
• The Panthers finished the 2023 season ranked top five in total blocks (344), blocks per set (2.97) and opponent hitting percentage (.141).
• Senior libero Emmy Klika is set to return after a career-best season in 2023 after earning All-American Honorable Mention, All-ACC and AVCA East Coast All-Region honors for the first time.
FAMILY TIES
• Freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones has deep ties to the game as her sister, Rainelle Jones, played volleyball for the University of Maryland and her twin sister, Renee, is committed to play at the University of Arizona.
• Rainelle is currently first in program history in career total blocks and block assists at Maryland.
• Jones comes from an athletic family as her dad (basketball - University of Maryland), mom (basketball - University of Winnipeg), brother (basketball - Florida Southwestern), sister (rowing - Drexel) also all play or have played Division I sports.
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE
• The 2024 team boasts four international student-athletes, including sixth year Puerto Rican Valeria Vazquez Gomez, senior Turkish setter Nisa Buzlutepe, Argentinian freshman Bianca Garibaldi and Romanian newcomer Dalia Vîrlan.
• Vazquez Gomez, Garibaldi and Vîrlan have national team experience and look to make an impact at the net.
ONE LAST GO AROUND
• Graduate outside hitters Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Cat Flood decided to use their final year of eligibility in pursuit of a championship.
• Flood has been critical in big moments behind the service line for the Panthers while Vazquez Gomez has become an elite, well rounded player for Pitt.
