The fall sports season is hitting the stretch run. The No. 1 ranked Pitt volleyball has two matches remaining in the regular season. The No. 2 seeded Pitt men’s soccer team already has claimed one NCAA Tournament win, inching them closer towards a national title.
Here is this week’s report.
Volleyball
Record: 27-1 (17-1 ACC)
Ranking: No. 1 (AVCA)
Last week: Defeated Wake Forest 3-0; Defeated NC State 3-0
Schedule
Wednesday 11/27: @No. 3 Louisville 7:00 p.m. (ACCN)
Saturday 11/30: No. 19 Georgia Tech 1:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Pitt went down to North Carolina over the weekend and took care of business. The top-ranked Panthers swept Wake Forest and NC State to improve to 27-1 on the year, and raised their winning streak to 12 straight matches.
On Friday night, Pitt sophomore Torrey Stafford produced 16 kills to lead the Panthers. Pitt took down the Demon Deacons in straight sets 25-18, 25-14, and 25-20.
On Sunday, it was more of the same from the No. 1 Panthers. Sophomore Olivia Babcock posted 17 kills, and Bre Kelly generated eight kills and six blocks as Pitt had little trouble with the Wolfpack: 25-18, 25-12, 25-17.
By virtue of winning those two matches, it sets the stage for a dramatic final week of the regular season beginning tonight. It is no surprise at all that the ACC will once again come down to Pitt and Louisville. The two top dogs of the conference will put it on the line tonight at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center set for a 7:00 p.m. start on the ACC Network.
Pitt has won the last three matches in this rivalry, with all three going five sets. The Cardinals and Panthers have either won or shared at least part of the ACC title over the past seven seasons, and that will be on the line tonight as well.
Both teams are 17-1 currently, with the Panthers handing Louisville its only loss this season, a dramatic 3-2 win in front of a sellout crowd at the Petersen Events Center back in October. Now the Cardinals will look to do the same thing by playing at the basketball arena looking to draw on a larger crowd for more support.
Pitt then closes the regular season with a Saturday afternoon match against No. 19 Georgia Tech, another program regularly near the top of the ACC as well. After that, it will be onto the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers have appeared in the last eight NCAA Tournaments and have advanced to three consecutive Final 4s.
Men’s soccer
Record: 13-5 (6-2 ACC)
Last week: Defeated Cornell 1-0 in NCAA Tournament
Schedule: Sunday 12/1 Kansas City 5:00 p.m.
Survive and advance is the name of the game, and the Pitt men’s soccer team did just that in a 1-0 win over Cornell in their opening match of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
The No. 2 seed in the tournament likely expected to have little more offense, but it proved to be a hard-fought shutout win instead. Sunday’s win marked the seventh time this season Pitt has shut out an opponent as the tram improved to 13-5 on the year.
This was a highly contested match, and it stood 0-0 late in the first half. In the 45th minute, Cornell was called for a handball, and senior midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana buried the penalty shot, which stood as the only scoring for the whole match.
It was all the more impressive Pitt pitched the shutout considering the Panthers drew a red card and played the entire second half down a man. Cornell totaled 15 shots for the match, but Pitt goalkeeper Cabral Carter was up for the challenge and was credited with five saves.
Following the win over Cornell, the Panthers are now 11-5 under head coach Jay Vidoich in the NCAA Tournament. Pitt is playing in its sixth consecutive tournament, and has reached the College Cup twice (2020 and 2022) during this run.
Pitt now takes on Kansas City on Sunday, set for a 5:00 p.m. match at Ambrose Urban Field. The Roos defeated Saint Louis 2-0 in the first round, then upset No. 15 Missouri State 2-1 as well.
Of the 16 teams left standing in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, seven are from the ACC, more than any other league. The Panthers claimed the regular season title this season in the ACC.
