Panthers Close out Road Series with WKU Holiday Inn – University Plaza Invitational

Match Notes
Friday vs. Saint Louis: Live Stats | Live Stream ($)
Friday at WKU: Live Stats | Live Stream ($)
Saturday vs. ETSU: Live Stats

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh volleyball team prepares for another tough road trip as the squad heads to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., for the WKU Holiday Inn – University Plaza Invitational.

The tournament will feature the Panthers (2-3), Saint Louis (0-6), East Tennessee State (2-4) and host WKU (5-2).

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers play three matches this weekend, starting Friday, September 8 with a 2 p.m. EST match-up against the Saint Louis Billikens. Later in the evening, Pitt will take on the WKU Hilltoppers at 8 p.m. EST.
The Panthers will conclude the tournament on Saturday, September 9 against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers at 4 p.m. EST.

THE SERIES

Pitt and Saint Louis will square off for the third time in program history, with the Panthers dropping the first two in the series, most recently in 2007.
Western Kentucky won the only meeting between the two programs just last year. The match, which took place in Pittsburgh, went the distance with Pitt coming up short in the final set, 15-12. Both teams were receiving votes in the AVCA poll that week.
This will be the Panthers second meeting with East Tennessee State, as Pitt swept the Buccaneers in the first meeting in 2000.

SCOUTING SAINT LOUIS

Saint Louis finished the 2016 season 18-14 overall and 11-3 in the Atlantic 10 conference. The Billikens reached the A-10 Tournament, where they fell to No. 1 seed Dayton in the championship match.
The squad has struggled at the start of the 2017 season and are currently 0-6. This past weekend at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic, Saint Louis was swept by Illinois State and Kennesaw State, while falling to UC Irvine in four.
Key returners for the Billikens include senior libero Mackenzie Long, who led the team with 423 digs (3.55) last season, and senior outside hitter Nenye Okoro who posted 2.00 kills per set in 2016.

SCOUTING WESTERN KENTUCKY

WKU, who is receiving votes in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll, finished the 2016 season 30-3 and went undefeated (14-0) in Conference USA. The Hilltoppers appeared in the first round of the NCAA Tournament only to be swept by Boise State.
WKU has posted a 6-2 record so far in 2017. The Hilltoppers only two losses came during this past weekend at the Cardinal Classic where they fell to Louisville and Illinois.
Alyssa Cavanaugh leads the Hilltoppers offense with 96 kills, including 3.69 per set. She's hitting .362 on the season.

SCOUTING EAST TENNESSEE STATE

East Tennessee State, who finished the 2016 season 22-8 overall, went 13-3 in the Southern Conference and reached the semifinals of the SoCon Conference Tournament, falling to Samford.
After a 2-1 weekend at the Appalachian State Invitational, the Buccaneers sit at 2-4 overall. ETSU defeated Virginia and host Appalachian State before falling Towson.
AJ Lux leads the Buccaneers offense with 65 kills and a .308 hitting percentage.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Panthers will close out non-conference play next weekend, as they open the 2017 home slate with the Panther Challenge. The tournament will feature UC Santa Barbara, Eastern Kentucky and Cleveland State.

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 last weekend at the Dayton Invitational.
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 Husky Invitational 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 67 kills, 3.53 per set, to lead the team and rank ninth in the ACC. Markovic also boasts a 57 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 2,106. She is just 123 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 255 kills away from moving into the top 10 in the category, including just 184 away from hitting the 1,000 mark. She also needs just 16 aces to enter the record book.
With her 33 digs last weekend at the Dayton Invitational, Angela Seman broke into the career digs category of the record book. The redshirt junior now boasts 1,092 digs, good for ninth best in program history. She is now just 17 away from moving into eighth (1,109).

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 Close out Road Series with WKU Holiday Inn – University Plaza Invitational

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 Close out Road Series with WKU Holiday Inn – University Plaza Invitational

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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