University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
East Carolina
No. 1 Panthers to Host East Carolina and Marquette
9/19/2024 4:57:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The No. 1 Pitt volleyball team (7-0, 0-0 ACC) continues its home slate at the Fitzgerald Field House on Friday against East Carolina (7-1, 0-0 AAC) at 7 p.m. before playing Marquette (3-4, 0-0 Big East) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Panthers and Pirates meet for the first time in program history. East Carolina advanced to the second round of the NIVC Tournament last season before falling to Georgia Southern.
Pitt leads the overall series against Marquette, 7-6, most recently defeating the Golden Eagles in Milwaukee in the form of a sweep last season. Torrey Stafford registered her first career double-double in the win with 17 kills and 10 digs, hitting .516.
SWEET SWEEP
• The Panthers swept No. 3 Penn State on Wednesday night in the Petersen Events Center in front of a record-breaking crowd (11,800).
• Pitt's 21 straight sets won is a program record.
• Torrey Stafford and Rachel Fairbanks shined, recording 17 kills and 42 assists, respectively.
• Freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones had a career-high seven kills on a .636 hitting percentage.
• Senior libero Emmy Klika registered a season-high 15 digs.
DYNAMIC DUO
• Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock have impressed in their sophomore campaigns after earning All-American status as rookies.
• Stafford ranks among the top 15 in the nation in points per set (10th – 5.38) and kills per set (9th – 4.75) while Babcock ranks 8th nationally in points per set (5.45) and 34th in kills per set (4.20).
• Babcock or Stafford have either led or tied for the team high in kills in each match this season.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER AWARD
• Olivia Babcock was recently named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career after her impressive week in California.
• On the weekend, she averaged 6.17 points per set, 5.11 kills per set, 2.22 digs per set, 0.78 blocks per set and 0.67 aces per set on the weekend, hitting .347.
• This is the eighth conference weekly honor she has received after being named ACC Freshman of the Week six times last year.
WELL-OILED MACHINE
• Pitt ranks among the top five in the country for hitting percentage (2nd - .342), opponent hitting percentage (4th - .116), and aces per set (3rd – 2.43)
BATTLED THE TROJANS, AND WON
• Pitt recorded its second top 25 win with a 3-0 sweep over then No. 23 USC in Los Angeles on Sept. 11.
• California natives Torrey Stafford, Olivia Babcock and Rachel Fairbanks impressed in their hometown, as the sophomore pin hitters combined for 30 kills while Fairbanks recorded a season-high 38 assists.
• Freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones led the Panthers with seven blocks and added four kills.
PUT A RING ON IT
• The 2023 ACC Champions and Final Four participants were given their rings prior to the Penn State match by alumni and Forever Panthers.
• Cat Flood, Rachel Fairbanks and Emmy Klika received their third ring (2021 Final Four, 2022 ACC Championship/Final Four, 2023 ACC Championship/Final Four) while Valeria Vazquez Gomez was given her fourth ring, as she was a part of the 2019 ACC Championship team.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS
• The Panthers have swept all seven of their opponents this year, most recently defeating No. 3 Penn State at the Petersen Events Center.
• The 21 consecutive sets won is a program record.
• Pitt is the only Division I team to not drop a set thus far.
DOWN GO THE DUCKS
• The Panthers defeated No. 10 Oregon in its season opener in straight sets.
• Senior setter Rachel Fairbanks led the charge with her first double-double of the season (34A, 11D).
• Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford came in hot after returning from injury, recording a match-high 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage and adding five digs.
CONQUERED THE BEACH
• Pitt dominated in its second match of the season, beating Long Beach State in a 3-0 sweep fashion.
• Four freshmen experienced their college debut while senior transfer setter Nisa Buzlutepe saw her first action against The Beach.
• The team was clicking on all cylinders, hitting .351 for the match.
• Rachel Fairbanks recorded her second straight double-double with 25 assists and 11 digs.
FRESH FACES
• The Panthers' roster features 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.
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.
