The end of the fall sports season is coming into focus. The Pitt men's soccer team will begin its ACC Tournament slate this weekend. The Panthers' volleyball team still has a few weeks left in the regular season, and looks as dominant as ever. While the women's soccer squad will await its postseason fate for a whole week. Here is this week's report.
Volleyball
Record: 21-1 (11-1 ACC)
Ranking: No. 1 (AVCA)
Last week: Defeated Virginia 3-0; Defeated Virginia Tech 3-0
Schedule
Friday 11/8: North Carolina 6:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Sunday 11/10: Duke 1:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
The Pitt volleyball team kept things moving like usual last week. The Panthers went down to the state of Virginia last weekend and swept both UVa and Virginia Tech with little resistance.
The two victories propelled Pitt’s record to 21-1 and the team has now won six matches in a row since their first loss of the season. Pitt also maintained its No. 1 ranking for another week, and tops a group of seven ACC teams in this week’s AVCA poll.
The Virginia match was a bit of a cakewalk for the Dan Fisher’s team. The Panthers won the first two sets by an identical 25-9 margin. Pitt claimed the third 25-15, to make it a sweep. Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford each produced 11 kills, while Valeria Vazquez Gomes had six, putting her over 1,000 for her career.
The Panthers then pulled off another sweep, this time a 3-0 victory over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Pitt has recorded sweeps in eight of the team’s 11 ACC match victories this season. The Hokies put up a little more fight than Virginia. Pitt took the match (25-15, 25-21, 25-20) and led throughout the first two sets, but did fall behind in the third at 15-11 and later 18-14. The Panthers then rallied to close 11-2 for an impressive statement to close the third.
Pitt is back home this weekend and will be hosting another ranked matchup at Fitzgerald Field House. North Carolina pushed into the rankings at No. 25 this week, and will carry an 18-3 record into the match. Pitt is 4-0 at home this season against ranked opponent. The Panthers will also welcome Duke for a Sunday afternoon tilt.
Men’s Soccer
Record: 12-4 (6-2 ACC)
Ranking: No. 9 (United Soccer Coaches)
Last week: Lost to Syracuse 2-0
Schedule
Sunday 11/10: ACC Quarterfinals Virginia 8:00 ACCN
Pitt closed the regular season with a 2-0 defeat to rival Syracuse. The Panthers closed the year with a 12-4 record, and a 6-2 mark in the ACC. Despite losing on the final day of the regular season, Pitt claimed an outright ACC regular season championship. Clemson took a draw with Virginia Tech to fall to 5-2-1, giving the Panthers the outright title.
Because of that, Pitt earned a bye in the first round of the upcoming ACC Tournament. The Panthers get a break before hosting the ACC quarterfinals on Sunday night at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Pitt will either take on ninth-seeded Virginia, a 2-1 winner over NC State on Wednesday evening.
This season marks Pitt’s first outright ACC title in program history. The Panthers previously won the Coastal Division in 2020, but this is the first league-wide title since joining the ACC in 2013. Under Jay Vidovich, the Panthers have made it to the NCAA Tournament five straight years, and this season will no doubt be the sixth.
Women’s Soccer
Record: 9-6-3 (3-5-2 ACC)
Last week: Lost to No. 13 Notre Dame 3-2
Schedule: Season completed
Pitt battled No. 13 Notre Dame in South Bend in the regular season finale, but came up short to close the regular season with a third consecutive loss.
The Panthers fell behind 2-0, but then Sarah Schupansky netted a first half goal, her seventh of the season and 32nd of her career. Later Ellie Caufield tied it at 2-all in the 45th minute, but the Panthers relented the lead three minutes later and the two teams did not score the rest of the match.
Pitt did not qualify for the six-team ACC Tournament with a 3-5-2 record. The Panthers’ last win occurred back on October 13th, a 3-0 victory over Syracuse.
It would appear unlikely Pitt would snag an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, but the Panthers are in the top-40 in the RPI. In any event, the tournament field will be announced on Monday November 11th. The Panthers have made back-to-back tournament appearances prior to this season, the first two in school history.
On Wednesday afternoon, Schupansky along with Deborah Abiodun were named second team All-ACC. Schupansky, one of the best players in program history, leads the country in assists with 15, yet could not crack the first team.
