Panthers Open Home Slate with Panther Challenge

Match Notes
Friday vs. UC Santa Barbara: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra
Saturday vs Eastern Kentucky: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra
Saturday vs. Cleveland St: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team (4-4) will open its home slate this weekend as it hosts the Panther Challenge at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers will welcome UC Santa Barbara (0-9), Eastern Kentucky (2-9) and Cleveland State (5-3).

THE SCHEDULE

Pitt plays three matches this weekend beginning Friday, Sept. 15 with a 7 p.m. match-up against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
The Panthers continue play early in the morning on Saturday, Sept. 16 as they host Eastern Kentucky at 10 a.m. Later that evening, Pitt will play its final match against Cleveland State. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.

THE SERIES

Pitt and UCSB will square off for the seventh time in program history, with the Panthers trailing in the series 5-1. The Panthers lone win came last year as they beat the Gauchos 3-1.
Pitt is undefeated against Eastern Kentucky all-time, with a perfect 5-0 record when facing the Colonels.
Cleveland State provides a familiar foe for the Panthers, as the teams will face off for the 17^th time. Pitt has bested the Vikings in 13 of 16 matchups.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA

UCSB finished the 2016 season 17-12 overall and 8-8 in the Big West conference. The Gauchos finished with the fourth-best record in the Big West, however they missed out on postseason play.
The Gauchos are off to a rough start this year, as they are still looking for their first victory. This past weekend the squad hosted the UCSB Thunderdome Classic. The Gauchos lost all three matches against Yale, USC and Arkansas, winning just three sets total on the weekend.
Lindsey Ruddins is the Gauchos' leading hitter with 134 kills, 5.36 kills per set while posting a .219 hitting percentage on 375 attempts.

SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY

Eastern Kentucky finished the 2016 campaign at .500, going 15-15. They finished 9-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference, losing to the No. 1 seed, Murray State, in the conference playoffs.
EKU has posted a 2-9 record thus far in 2017. The Colonels lost four straight this past weekend at the Carolina Classic, where they faced South Carolina, Radford, Miami (OH) and Seattle University.
Nikki Drost leads the Colonels' offense, posting 114 kills and an average of 2.71 per set. On defense, Chloe Rojas leads the way with 3.33 digs per set, totaling 143 on the year.

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE

Cleveland State completed a strong 2016 season going 25-6 on the year and 14-2 in conference play. The Vikings won the Horizon League Championship, which granted them a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, where they fell to Arizona in the first round.
Cleveland State enters the weekend after a successful showing at the Chippewa Challenge. The Vikings completed sweeps against Central Michigan and Indiana State on their way to a tournament title.
The Vikings boast two returning Horizon League honorees. Alexis Middlebrooks, who was named All-League First Team, has collected 105 kills on 212 attempts, resulting in a .373 hitting percentage for the season. In addition, the 2016 Horizon League Setter of the Year, Gina Kilner, returns for Cleveland State averaging 11.03 assists per set and 342 total.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Panthers will begin ACC play next weekend when they host Syracuse on Friday, Sept. 22 and Boston College on Sunday, Sept. 24.

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 112 kills, 3.61 per set, to lead the team and rank seventh in the ACC. Markovic also boasts 74 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 2,213. She's just 16 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 237 kills away from moving into the top 10 in the category and just 166 away from hitting 1,000 mark. She also needs just 13 aces to enter the record book.
With her 33 digs at the Dayton Invitational, Angela Seman broke into the career digs category of the record book. The redshirt junior now boasts 1,127 digs, good for eighth best in program history. She is now just 139 away from moving into seventh (1,266).

WKU INVITATIONAL RECAP

The Panthers finished 2-1 on the weekend at the WKU Holiday Inn – University Plaza Invitational, defeating Saint Louis and East Tennessee State, while falling to the host WKU.
Pitt completed a sweep of the Saint Louis Billikens in its first match. Sophomore Nika Markovic lead the offense with eight kills, while freshman Kamalani Akeo added 16 assists.
In the Panthers only loss of the tournament, Pitt fell to WKU in five sets. Markovic once again led the Panthers' offense compiling 26 kills accompanied by Akeo's 46 assists. Defensively, redshirt junior Angela Seman tallied a team-leading 14 digs, while sophomore Layne Van Buskirk tacked on nine blocks.
Pitt finished the weekend with a win over East Tennessee State, 3-1. Redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams recorded 21 kills and five blocks. Akeo added 44 assists on the day, while Seman accounted for 17 digs in the contest.

DAYTON INVITATIONAL RECAP

The Panthers went 1-1 at the Dayton Invitational, falling to No. 25 Iowa State in its opening match before defeating Dayton.
Against the nationally ranked Cyclones, Pitt battled back after falling behind 2-0, dominating the third set 25-16 and the fourth set 25-19. In a thrilling final set that went to extra points, the Panthers had multiple chances to earn the win but Iowa State came out on top 21-19. Pitt's offense posted 55 kills, led by Nika Markovic who had 16. The sophomore hit .344, with five digs, four blocks and three aces.
In a rematch of the Panthers' 2016 NCAA Tournament Opening Round Match, Pitt earned its first sweep of the season, defeating the Flyers 25-21, 25-19 and 25-19. The Panthers saw impressive offensive performances from redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams, senior Mariah Bell and sophomore Nika Markovic. Williams led Pitt with 13 kills on 26 attempts, committing just one error. She hit .462 on the match. Bell added 10 kills to the Panthers 41 and only committed three errors. Markovic walked away with the highest hitting percentage, racking up a .571 clip after going 8-for-14 with not a single error. She also earned Pitt's two aces on the day and had three blocks.

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.

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Panthers Open Home Slate with Panther Challenge

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 Open Home Slate with Panther Challenge

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

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