Upper campus rundown: Soccer and volleyball get off to hot starts
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The Pitt football team will get its season going this Saturday against Albany, but some of the other fall sports have already taken to the field.
The Pitt men’s and women’s soccer teams have gotten their seasons under way, as well as the highly-regarded volleyball team.
The Pitt men’s soccer team is under the guidance of second-year coach Jay Vidovich. The one-time Wake Forest coach comes with a distinguished resume and has revived the program in a short amount of time. In 2017, the Panthers finished with an 8-10 record and pulled a few upsets over some top 25 teams during the season.
In just his second season, Vidovich has already brought on more expectations for the program. Pitt was picked to finish 5th in the ACC Coastal, but the team was receiving some votes in the preseason coaches poll.
The season opened on Friday with the Panthers dropping a 1-0 decision to No. 25 Colgate in front of over 1,100 fans at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Pitt bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Delaware last night and will head to Kent State on Friday.
The Pitt women’s soccer team has a new-look this season as Randy Waldrum took over a program that won four games in the 2017 season. Through the first four games of the 2018 season, the Panthers are off to a 3-0-1 start.
Like Vidovich on the men’s side, Waldrum comes with an impressive resume. He won two national championships at Notre Dame and is hoping to make a similar impact on the women’s program as Vidovich is having on the men’s side.
The women's team wrapped up a two-game homestead with a 2-1 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday. The Panthers will now travel to Texas to take on TCU on Thursday, and North Texas on Sunday.
Finally, the Pitt volleyball team took to the court this past weekend to get its season under way. The Panthers started the season at No. 20 in the preseason coaches poll after posting a 26-7 record last season and making the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament before bowing out to No. 1 Penn State.
The Panthers also claimed a share of the ACC title last season, and head coach Dan Fisher was named the ACC Coach of the Year as a result; now the expectations are high once again. Pitt is off to a fast start after posting winning three matches this weekend in the Panther Challenge - highlighted by a 3-1 victory over No. 24 Cal Poly.
The Panthers will hit the road this weekend with a spot in the Seton Hall Classic in New Jersey. Pitt is slated to take on Oklahoma, Seton Hall and VCU between Friday and Saturday.