The fall sports season is starting to wind down with the soccer regular season concluding this week and volleyball entering the stretch run. Pitt still boasts a pair of top five program at the moment. Here is the latest Fall sports report.
Men’s Soccer
Record: 12-3 (6-1 ACC)
Ranking: No. 3 (United Soccer Coaches)
Last week: Defeated Virginia 4-1
Schedule
Friday 11/1: @Syracuse 7:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
If you blinked, you might have missed it. Casper Svendby, Lasse Dahl, Casper Grening all netted goals in a span of two minutes and 35 seconds to help Pitt take down Virginia 4-1 last week at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The Panthers improved to 12-3 on the win, claiming their second consecutive match after a brief two-game losing streak. Pitt also closed out regular season play with a 7-2 record at home, and sent off the seniors with a win.
Although, Pitt should get to play a few postseason matches in Oakland in a few short weeks. Before the postseason gets going, Jay Vidovich’s squad has one more regular match, a Friday night tilt in Syracuse. The 2022 national champion Orange are down a bit this year, and will bring a 6-6-3 record in Friday night.
Last week's win gave Pitt at least a share of the ACC regular season title. As it stands, Pitt is 6-1 with 18 points at the moment. Clemson is 5-2 with 15 points. The Tigers can’t pass the Panthers of course, but one more win would give Pitt the outright regular season title.
Volleyball
Record: 19-1 (9-1 ACC)
Ranking: No. 1 (AVCA)
Accolades: Rachel Fairbanks, ACC co-Setter of the Week
Last week: Defeated No. 4 Louisville 3-2; Defeated Notre Dame 3-1
Schedule
Friday 11/1: @Virginia 7:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Sunday 11/3: @Virginia Tech 1:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Last Friday, Pitt hosted its third top-five showdown of the season, and for the third time, the Panthers came out victorious. No. 1 Pitt needed all five sets to dispatch rival Louisville, but got the job done3 in front of 11,309 fans at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt previously defeated No. 3 Penn State in September, and No. 5 Stanford last week. The fourth-ranked Cardinals became the newest top-five victim of the Panthers. But unlike the previous two ranked showdowns, this one was a tight match. Pitt and Louisville have been the class of the ACC for years, and it’s always a battle when these teams meet, and the most recent installment did not disappoint.
Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford combined for 37 kills, while junior Bee Kelley provided 12 kills and 10 blocks. Like many times this season, the Panthers overwhelmed the opponent in the first set, racing out to 15-8 advantage before taking it 25-21.
Louisville and Pitt needed 28 points to decided the second set, with the Cardinals edging the Panthers 28-26 to even things at one apiece.
Pitt took the third 25-17, while Louisville forced a decisive fifth with a 25-22 victory in the fourth set. Longtime Pitt nemesis Anna Debeer paced the Cardinals with 22 kills. The Panthers ultimately took the fifth set 15-12, and of course the match. It marked the third time in the past two seasons Pitt has taken down Louisville in five sets in Pittsburgh.
Pitt then claimed a 3-1 victory over Notre Dame on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House to improve to 19-1 on the year. The Panthers head south this weekend for a Friday night game at Virginia (17-4), and a Sunday afternoon match at Virginia Tech (7-13).
Women’s Soccer
Record: 9-5-3 (3-4-2 ACC)
Last week: Lost to No. 2 Wake Forest 2-0
Schedule
Thursday 10/24: @ No. 13 Notre Dame 7:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Pitt had a tough assignment last week, as it welcomed No. 2 Wake Forest to Ambrose Urbaic Field. The Demon Deacons showed off that lofty ranking, defeating Pitt 2-0 in the team’s final home match of the season. The Panthers actually outshot Wake Forest 14-11, but could not find the back of the net.
In the defeat, Pitt senior Sarah Schupansky notched her 77th career start, which tied the school record. Schupansky is currently seventh in the ACC in points with 27, racking up six goals and 15 assists.
Pitt has one regular season match remaining, with a trip to South Bend on Thursday to take on No. X Notre Dame. The Irish are coming off of a 2-0 defeat to Virginia Tech on Sunday, which is only the second loss all season.
Pitt and Notre Dame played to a 1-1 draw last season in Pittsburgh. Of course, this match holds significance to Pitt head coach Randy Waldrum, who led Notre Dame to national titles in 2004 and 2010.
