Pitt Set for NCAA First Round Match Versus VCU

Match Notes | Tickets | Live Stats | BTN2Go Stream

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (25-6, 18-2 ACC) open NCAA Tournament play Friday, Dec. 1 in State College, Pa., as the Panthers are set to take on VCU (30-2, 14-0 A10) at 5 p.m. in Penn State's Rec Hall.

NCAA FIRST/SECOND ROUND INFORMATION

First Round
- Game 1: Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 | 5 p.m.
  - Pitt [25-6] vs. VCU [30-2]
- Game 2: Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.
  - PSU [29-1] vs. Howard [16-15]
Second Round
- Game 3: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 | 7:00 p.m.
  - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Broadcast and Live Stats
- Links to both the live stream, provided by BTN2Go, and live stats can be found on the tournament central page.
- Saturday's second-round match will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m.
Tickets
- Single-match tickets will only be sold at the door the night of each match. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and youth ages 12 and under. Groups of 20 or more may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $5. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Friday, December 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, December 2.
- All-session tickets are priced at $12 for adults and $10 for students and youth ages 12 and under. Groups of 20 or more may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $8. Fans can purchase all-session tickets online, by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the Athletic Ticket Office in the Bryce Jordan Center from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Bag Policy
- Fans should review Penn State's bag policy prior to arriving at Rec Hall. No book bags or duffel bags will be allowed in the gym and all permissible items will be searched upon entry.
Parking and Traffic
- Women's Volleyball fans will have free parking in the Nittany Parking Deck, as well as in the Red A lots off North Atherton Street at White Course Drive. The gates will be open at both the entrance and the exit to the Deck.

THE SERIES – PITT VS. VCU

Pitt and VCU will square off for the sixth time in program history. The Panthers hold a 4-1 advantage all-time. Pitt fell to the Rams in their most recent matchup in 2009, 3-1

SCOUTING VCU

VCU heads to Penn State with a 30-2 overall record and a perfect 14-0 mark in A-10 play.
The Rams enter this weekend after winning the A-10 Championship after defeating Dayton in a thrilling five-set match.
VCU will look to Alicia Kandler to challenge the Panthers, as she leads the team in kills (308) and kills per set (2.77).

THE SERIES – PITT VS. PSU

In the event that Pitt wins Friday and Penn State (29-1, 19-1 Big 10) defeats Howard (16-15, 9-3 MEAC) in the opening round, the Panthers will face the Nittany Lions, Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
Pitt trails in the all-time series 32-19, not having won a match against Penn State since Nov. 8, 1987.
The Panthers met the Nittany Lions for the first time since 2011 last season in the same situation in the NCAA as this year. Penn State defeated Pitt in four-sets in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

SCOUTING PENN STATE

The Nittany Lions enter the 2017 NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed, after claiming a piece of the Big Ten Championship this past weekend and finishing the regular season with a 29-1 overall record and a 19-1 mark in B1G play.
Last weekend, Penn State beat both Wisconsin and Minnesota in four sets to grab partial ownership of the Big Ten title.
The Lions will look to senior middle blocker Haleigh Washington and senior outside hitter Simone Lee to pace the offense. Washington leads the nation in hitting percentage, tallying a .515 clip, while Lee leads the Nittany Lions with 409 kills and 3.93 per set.

THE SERIES – PITT VS. HOWARD

In the event that Howard upsets Penn State and Pitt defeats VCU, the Panthers will face Howard in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Pitt is undefeated all-time against the Bison, holding an unblemished 5-0 mark.
The last time the two teams met came in 2012 and featured the Panthers sweeping their opponent.

SCOUTING HOWARD

Howard enters the tournament with a 16-15 overall mark and a 9-3 record in the MEAC.
The Bison captured their third-straight MEAC title with a sweep of Florida A&M last weekend.
Howard, who suffered from injuries throughout the season, will look to senior outside hitter Khaila Donaldson to continue to lead the squad. Donaldson leads the Bison in points (467.0), kills (408) and kills per set (3.61).

ACC CHAMPYINZ

Pitt claimed a share of its first ACC title after sweeping both Virginia Tech and Virginia in the team's final week of regular season play.
The Panthers share a piece of the crown with Louisville, who also finished the season 18-2 in conference play. This marks the first ACC championship in program history and second at the University (Wrestling, Outright, 2014).
The Panthers opened the weekend with a sweep of the Hokies. The offense was outstanding in the match, tallying 50 kills and 47 assists. Sophomore Nika Markovic led the squad in kills with 20, while redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams contributed her share with 10.
Pitt extended its win streak to nine straight with another three-set victory over the Cavaliers. The Panthers remained dominant offensively, out-killing Virginia 49-36. Markovic was outstanding once again for Pitt as she posted 10 kills on 19 attempts with just three errors. This marked her 24^th game of tallying double-digit kills. The Panthers back row defense was led by redshirt junior Angela Seman with 12 digs. Williams also posted 10 digs and one ace.

FISHER NAMED 2017 ACC COACH OF THE YEAR

Head Coach Dan Fisher was named ACC Volleyball Coach of the Year for the 2017 season in his fitfh year at the helm of the Panthers.
In his five years at Pitt, Fisher has guided a historically successful program back to its winning ways. He led the Panthers to their first ACC Championship this season and back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances since 2003-2004.
Pitt posted its fourth-straight season of finishing in the top 50 RPI and third-consecutive year winning 20-plus matches after finishing the regular season 25-6 overall and 18-2 in conference play. Fisher owns a 117-44 (.727) all-time record with the Panthers.

FOUR PANTHERS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

Redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams and junior Kamalani Akeo were selected as All-ACC First Team honorees along with sophomore Nika Markovic, who was a unanimous selection.
In their first season with the Panthers, freshmen Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee were voted to the ACC All-Freshman Team. The two combined to win ACC Freshman of the Week six times throughout the season, with Lund earning four of the honors.

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Pitt Set for NCAA First Round Match Versus VCU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Angela Seman

Stephanie Williams

Pitt Set for NCAA First Round Match Versus VCU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Angela Seman

Stephanie Williams

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