PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh Volleyball team will start the new season ranked third in the country. The American Volleyball Coaches Association released the rankings on Wednesday. This is the highest preseason ranking in Pitt program history.
This marks the third consecutive season that Pitt has been ranked in the top five and the sixth straight season starting in the top 10. The Panthers are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Semifinal appearance and third straight ACC Championship.
Pitt returns several key players, including 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock, AVCA Second Team All-American Bre Kelley, and All-ACC Freshman Team member Ryla Jones. These players, along with junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless, were named to the All-ACC Preseason Team. That’s the most among any other ACC team. The Panthers will face a challenging schedule with 17 matches against 2024 NCAA Tournament participants. This includes matches against three teams that reached the National Semifinal: Nebraska, Penn State, and Louisville, as well as two Elite Eight teams, Kentucky and Stanford, and a Regional Semifinal team, Florida.
Pitt opens the season in the AVCA First Serve Showcase. The season opener is scheduled for August 22 at 7 p.m. in Lincoln, Nebraska, against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were the 2025 Co Big Ten and Final Four participant. The Panthers finish out the weekend in a matchup with Florida on Aug.24.
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