No. 3 Pitt Opens Season at AVCA First Serve Showcase

PITTSBURGH – The No. 3 Pitt Panthers open their 2025 season on the AVCA First Serve Showcase at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, Aug. 22 in opposition to 2024 National Semifinalist and No. 1 Nebraska in entrance of a sold-out crowd. The Panthers will play on Nebraska on FOX for the primary time in program historical past. Pitt will wrap up the weekend in opposition to No. 16 Florida on Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Panthers and Huskers meet for the sixteenth time in program historical past as Pitt is in search of its first victory. Pitt most lately fell to No. 1 Nebraska within the 2023 National Semifinal in Tampa, Fla. The Panthers presently lead the general collection in opposition to Florida 3-1 and took down the Gators within the 2022 Regional Semifinal of their final assembly. 

LIV’S BUSY SUMMER!

• Olivia Babcock had a busy summer time each on and off the court docket.

• She performed with the USA Senior National Team within the VNL for 2 weeks earlier than heading to New York City for the CWSA Honda Award Banquet (6/29-6/30) and Los Angeles for the ESPYS (7/16).

• Babcock is the primary Panther to be named a Honda Award winner and the primary Pitt feminine student-athlete to be nominated for an ESPY (finest school athlete in ladies’s sports activities).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Olivia Babcock and Bre Kelley had been named to the 2025 AVCA Player of the Year Watch List.

• This marks Kelley’s first time being named to the checklist.

• Babcock makes the checklist after being dubbed the 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year. 

NPOTY RETURNS

• Olivia Babcock returns for her junior marketing campaign.

• She had the perfect season in program historical past final yr, being named this system’s first AVCA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, AVCA    First Team All-American, First Team All-ACC, and Pittsburgh NCAA Regional Most Valuable Player.

• Babcock recorded 33 kills within the National Semifinal, a program report within the rally scoring period.

• The sophomore sensation led the convention in factors per set (5.85), kills per set (4.59) and aces per set (0.65) final season.

BIG BLOCK BRE 

• Redshirt senior Bre Kelley is again for her fifth yr after incomes AVCA Second Team All-America honors final season. 

• Kelley completed eighth within the nation in blocks per set (1.49)

• She completed the season hitting .497, setting each a program and ACC report.

• Along with being named an All-American, Kelley earned First Team All-ACC and East Coast Region honors.

EMERY DUPES A PANTHER

• Graduate libero Emery Dupes transferred to Pitt after 4 seasons at Florida State.

• She grew to become the primary All-ACC freshman libero in program historical past for the Seminoles.

• Dupes redshirted the 2023 season after tearing her ACL in preseason.

• She comes into the 2025 marketing campaign with profession totals of 872 digs, 212 assists and 59 aces.

FROM GREEN TO GOLD

• Sophia Gregoire transferred to Pitt after two seasons at Oregon. 

• She redshirted her freshman season and noticed motion in her redshirt freshman marketing campaign earlier than sustaining an ankle harm.

• Gregoire had an completed highschool profession and was named to the U18 roster for the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.

B1G TO ACC

• Redshirt senior setter Brooke Mosher got here to Pittsburgh this May to organize for her fifth and ultimate season of faculty volleyball.

• She performed 4 years at Illinois and comes into the season with 2,075 assists, 727 digs, 403 kills and 114 aces in her profession. 

EARLY ENROLLEES

• Freshman center blocker Abbey Emch graduated highschool early to hitch the Panthers final spring.

• Emch was the District Player of the Year and MVAC Player of the Year, notched 1st Team All Ohio, 1st Team All District, 1st Team MVAC and AVCA ladies highschool All-Region honors. 

• Freshman libero Izzy Masten graduated a complete yr early and reclassified to be part of the 2025 Pitt volleyball crew. 

• She performed outdoors hitter and libero in membership and highschool and gained the USAV 18U Beach National Championship.

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE

• The Panthers welcome two worldwide outdoors hitters to the 2025 crew.

• Dagmar Mourits hails from the Netherlands and gained the CEV Volleyball European Championship from 2019-2022. 

• Marina Pezelj is from Monaco and lately was a member of the French VNL Team this previous summer time.

FOUR FOR FOUR

• The Panthers superior to their fourth straight National Semifinal in 2024.

• Pitt is the one crew within the nation that superior to the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 National Semifinals. 

• Recent Pitt volleyball alumni Emmy Klika and Rachel Fairbanks made each Final Four of their careers.

ALL-REGION NODS

• All seven starters had been named to the AVCA East Coast Region Team for the second straight yr.

• Olivia Babcock was dubbed the AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year for the primary time in her profession. Rachel Fairbanks earned the award in 2023. 

• Dan Fisher was named the AVCA East Coast Region Coach of the Year for the third time in his profession after main Pitt to a 33-2 total and 19-1 ACC report.

OUTRIGHT ACC CHAMPS!

• The Pitt Panthers had been the 2024 outright ACC Champions for the third time in program historical past and sixth total. 

• This marked the third consecutive ACC Championship for Pitt.

• The win over No. 3 Louisville secured a share of the title, and the victory over No. 19 Georgia Tech allowed Pitt the outright championship.

OUR COACH

• Head Coach Dan Fisher was named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year after main Pitt to a 33-2 total report and 19-1 ACC report.

• This marked Fisher’s third ACC Coach of the Year accolade and first since 2018.

• He sits at 395 profession wins and 320 at Pitt.

NUMBER ONE 

• For the primary time in program historical past, Pitt was the primary total seed within the NCAA Tournament.

• The Panthers had been tied for first with the least quantity of losses final yr and ended the season at No. 3 within the RPI.

AWARDS ON AWARDS

• In addition to ACC Coach of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, all seven of Pitt’s starters had been named all-conference.

• Olivia Babcock, Rachel Fairbanks, Torrey Stafford and Bre Kelley noticed their names on the First Team, and Valeria Vazquez Gomez and Emmy Klika earned Second Team honors.

• Ryla Jones was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team for her impression in her rookie marketing campaign. 

 

PRO PANTHERS

• Three Panthers from the 2024 crew are presently enjoying skilled volleyball within the United States.

• Rachel Fairbanks re-signed a contract with LOVB Atlanta after an awesome first season this previous spring, ending in a semifinal look. 

• Valeria Vazquez Gomez joined the Omaha Supernovas final season after a profitable profession as a Panther. 

• Libero Emmy Klika lately re-signed with the Orlando Valkyries after becoming a member of late within the yr and serving to them win the group’s first PVF Championship.

• Klika was a two-time All-ACC and 2023 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention performer. 

BABCOCK MAKES HISTORY

• Olivia Babcock is the all-time program chief for many aces in a single season with 71 in 2024. 

• She reached the feat in opposition to Morehead State within the first spherical of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

• Previously she handed the one season report within the 25-point scoring period together with her third ace of the night time in opposition to Miami (11/17) and ended with 5 for the match.

• Babcock handed Lindsey Zitzke who recorded 53 aces within the 2011 season. 

STAT STUFFERS

• Pitt led the nation in hitting share (.332) final yr for the primary time in program historical past.

• The Panthers had been third in opponent hitting share (0.135), eighth in blocks per set (2.81), tenth in assists per set (13.18) and twelfth in aces per set (1.92) and kills per set (14.08).

VOLLEYBALL TAHN 

• Nine Pitt volleyball matches offered out final season (Penn State, Cal, Stanford, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Miami and Georgia Tech). 

• Eight of these 9 passed off within the Fitzgerald Field House whereas the victory over the Nittany Lions was within the Petersen Events Center in entrance of a record-breaking 11,800 individuals. 

FISHER IN HIS 13TH SEASON 

• Head coach Dan Fisher is heading into his thirteenth season on the helm of the Pitt volleyball crew.

• He is constructing upon his unprecedented success, incomes his sixth ACC Championship and is in search of his first National Championship.

• Fisher presently holds a 320-69 total report at Pitt, good for a .823 profitable share.