Panthers Ready for Rematch with Dayton, Third Nationally Ranked Team

Match Notes
Saturday vs. Iowa State: Live Stats
Sunday at Dayton: Live Stats | Live Stream

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (1-2) has a tough weekend ahead at the Dayton Invitational, as the Panthers face their third nationally ranked opponent this season in No. 25 Iowa State (3-0), while also taking on the host Flyers (2-1) who Pitt defeated in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season.

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers play just two matches this weekend with the first against the ranked Cyclones Saturday, Sept. 2. First serve is slated for 1:30 p.m. EST.
Pitt will conclude play Sunday, Sept. 3 against Dayton at 1 p.m. EST.

THE SERIES

The Panthers and Iowa State will meet for just the second time in program history and the first time since 1989, when Pitt won the initial meeting.
Dayton leads the all-time meetings with the Panthers, 4-3, as the teams gear up for their eighth match-up in program history. The last time the two opponents met, Pitt defeated then-ranked No. 23 Dayton, 3-1, in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Penn State's Rec Hall in University Park, Pa.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

Iowa State, who checks in at No. 25 in this week's AVCA weekly poll, finished the 2016 season 18-11 overall, falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Purdue in three sets.
The Cyclones are 3-0 on the season after sweeping Kent State, Omaha and New Mexico last weekend at home.
Iowa State boasts a talented group of players both young and old, including junior Jess Schaben, who will lead the Cyclones' attack. She has accumulated numerous accolades as the Cyclones' most reliable outside hitter, including Honorable Mention All-America honors.

SCOUTING DAYTON

Dayton, who finished the 2016 season 30-2, went undefeated (14-0) in the Atlantic-10 conference and appeared in the first round of the NCAA Tournament only to lose to the Panthers in four sets.
The Flyers went 2-1 in their opening weekend, falling to Cal Poly before defeating Northern Illinois and High Point in four sets.
Dayton, who is receiving votes along with Pitt in this week's poll, returns an experienced group that includes five seniors. Amber Erhahon will look to add to her long list of accolades, which already includes A-10 First Team honors for two years straight.

LOOKING AHEAD

Pitt will continue non-conference play Sept. 8-9 when it heads to Bowling Green, Ky., for the Western Kentucky Invitational. The Panthers will face Saint Louis, WKU and East Tennessee State.

PANTHERS IN THE POLLS

Pitt continues to receive votes in the first official week of the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, earning 12.

FRESHMEN FORCE

Freshmen Chinaza Ndee and Kayla Lund shined in their debuts as they both started each game of Husky Invitational, and were active contributors.
Ndee recorded her first kill as a Panther against No. 3 Washington. Her best performance came against Saint Mary's as she finished with 14 kills on 28 attempts (.357), a team-leading six blocks and two digs.
Lund finished the weekend with 27 kills, good for second best on the team. Her top showing came against No. 9 Creighton as she recorded 13 kills on 26 attempts to hit .308.

MAKING HER MARK

One of three international products on the roster, sophomore Nika Markovic has had a major impact on the Panthers' success since her arrival in 2016.
So far this season, the right side hitter has dominated both sides of the ball for Pitt. She has tallied 43 kills, 3.91 per set, to lead the team and rank fourth in the ACC. Markovic also boasts a team-high 47 digs.
Last season, the Braslovce, Slovenia, native was sidelined in early October due to foot surgery for three games. She was also limited in three more contests before being given the full go on Oct. 28 against NC State.
The team fell into a lull in her absence, producing a 2-4 record. After her return, Pitt picked up its play, rattling off four straight wins, including an upset at home against No. 8 North Carolina.
In the upset over the Tar Heels, Markovic had a career-high 19 kills, which led the Panthers. She also produced 10 kills in the win over NC State that same weekend, and tallied 19 digs over the two games. She was honored as the ACC Freshman of the Week for her efforts.
Markovic ended her freshman campaign with 233 kills and a .266 hitting percentage. She also racked up 39 aces, second-best on the team.

MILESTONE/RECORD BOOK WATCH

Junior setter Kamalani Akeo currently sits ninth in career assists with 2,065. She is just 164 away from moving into eighth (2,229).
Senior Mariah Bell will look to break into the top 10 in career kills and aces in 2017. Bell is 273 kills away from moving into the top 10 in the category, including just 202 away from hitting the 1,000 mark. She also needs just 17 aces to enter the record book.
Redshirt junior Angela Seman is three digs away from breaking into the career digs category of the record book. The libero boasts 1,059 total.

HUSKY INVITATIONAL RECAP

The Panthers concluded the Husky Invitational in Seattle, 2-1, having dropped two matches to top-10 teams in No. 3 Washington and No. 9 Creighton, before bringing home a win against Saint Mary's.
In the squad's season-opener, Pitt was bested by the Huskies in three sets, despite recording more kills and digs. Redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams and sophomore Nika Markovic stood out for the Panthers, recording double-doubles in their opening match of the season. Williams led the squad with 13 kills and hit .290, while tallying 10 digs and three consecutive aces in the second set. Markovic also had 10 digs, and recorded double-digit kills with 12.
The Bluejays also swept Pitt in its second match. Freshman Kayla Lund recorded 13 kills on 26 attempts to hit .308. The newcomer also posted nine digs, a block and the Panthers' lone service ace.
Pitt won their first five-set match of the season, taking down the Gaels in thrilling fashion. Sophomore Nika Markovic was phenomenal for the Panthers, earning her second double-double of the season with career-highs in kills and digs. The Slovenia native tallied 23 of Pitt's 77 kills and 27 digs, in addition to four blocks. She finished the match with a .263 hitting percentage and was named to the Husky Invitational All-Tournament Team.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES

Pitt landed two student-athletes on the 2017 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team in returning ACC Setter of the Year Kamalani Akeo and AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree Stephanie Williams.
A redshirt sophomore from Eastlake, Ohio, Williams was a 2016 AVCA honorable mention All-America selection, in addition to an AVCA All-East Coast Region first team and All-ACC first team honoree. She finished the 2016 season with a team-leading 467 kills, ninth most in Pitt history, 308 digs and a team-high 16 double-doubles.
Akeo, who is the reigning ACC Setter of the Year, led the conference in 2016 with 11.71 assists/set in ACC play. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native was also recognized as an AVCA All-East Coast Region First team selection after aiding Pitt in the postseason.

ACC PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

The Panthers earned their highest projection in program history in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, as they were selected to finish third in 2017.
Reigning ACC Champion North Carolina led the way as the Tar Heels garnered all 14 first-place votes. One point separated Pitt from Florida State for second and third place, while Notre Dame and NC State rounded out the top five, respectively.
The Panthers have continually improved their mark in the preseason poll after being predicted to finish ninth in 2014, seventh in 2015 and sixth in 2016.

2016: A SEASON TO REMEMBER

The 2016 season marked the start of a new era for the rising program, as Pitt reached the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2004.
Not only did the Panthers earn a bid to postseason play, but they also went a step further by defeating No. 24 Dayton, 3-1, in the opening match to advance to the second round, a feat the program hasn't accomplished since 2003.
Pitt concluded the season 25-9 overall and 15-5 in ACC play, landing the Panthers tied for third overall in the conference.
Pitt recorded its third straight season with 20-plus wins (25). The Panthers have only hit that mark one other time since 2003.
Redshirt senior Jenna Potts and redshirt freshman Stephanie Williams earned AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-America honors for their performances during the 2016 season.
Potts and Williams were also named to the AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team, along with sophomore setter Kamalani Akeo.
Six Pitt players earned All-Conference honors, including Akeo who was named ACC Setter of the Year.
Joining Akeo are Potts and Williams who were named as first team All-ACC honorees, while Akeo and Mariah Bell were tabbed second team All-ACC. Freshmen Nika Markovic and Layne Van Buskirk were the Panthers final awardees, earning ACC All-Freshman honors. The Panthers' six All-ACC honorees are second most among ACC programs, trailing only North Carolina.

ROSTER REVIEW

The Panthers return six starters from last year's squad, including AVCA Honorable Mention All-America selection Stephanie Williams and ACC Setter of the Year Kamalani Akeo. The duo, in addition to senior Mariah Bell, redshirt junior Angela Seman and sophomores Nika Markovic and Layne Van Buskirk, will look to lead the team back to the postseason in 2017.
Pitt lost players from the 2016 roster, but most notably redshirt senior Jenna Potts. The Panthers will look to find a way to replace the middle blocker who was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree, and was one of the squad's top blockers. Potts became Pitt's all-time leader in career total blocks (573) and block assists (509).
The 2017 freshman class features two incoming players in Chinaza Ndee and Kayla Lund. Lund was an AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-America Third Team selection as a senior and a three-time MaxPreps Underclass All-American. Ndee was also an Under Armour Girl's High School All-America selection earning honorable mention.
Senior transfer Alex Rosignol (Southern Illinois) will round out the Panthers' newcomers. Rosignol ranked 26th in the nation with a .376 hitting percentage, which was also third in the MVC.

PLAYING THE RPI GAME

The Panthers are set to play four opponents that are ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll in Washington (3), Creighton (9), North Carolina (11) and Florida State (15), in addition to Western Kentucky, Iowa State and Dayton who are receiving votes.
Pitt has a tough slate ahead of them, with matches versus eight teams that appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament, including Washington and Creighton, who bowed out in the Elite Eight.

#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Panthers Ready for Rematch with Dayton, Third Nationally Ranked Team

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Mariah Bell

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Jenna Potts

Alex Rosignol

Angela Seman

Layne Van Buskirk

Stephanie Williams

Panthers Ready for Rematch with Dayton, Third Nationally Ranked Team

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kamalani Akeo

Mariah Bell

Kayla Lund

Nika Markovic

Chinaza Ndee

Jenna Potts

Alex Rosignol

Angela Seman

Layne Van Buskirk

Stephanie Williams

Related Videos