Weekend sports: volleyball, men’s soccer grab ACC wins

Though it was the celebration of homecoming, many Panthers were on the road this weekend. Taking on teams from Boston to Louisville, many of Pitt’s teams fared well over the weekend — topping ranked teams and continuing streaks — though some struggled against top opponents.

Men’s Soccer

The men’s soccer team (8-6-0, 2-4 ACC) was on the road over the weekend, traveling to South Bend, Indiana, to take on No. 7 Notre Dame (9-3-1, 3-2-1 ACC). They battled hard against the Fighting Irish, ultimately clenching the win with a score of 1-0.

Seeking their third win against a ranked team, the Panthers started off slow — exiting the first half with only four shots on goal compared to Notre Dame’s 11. The first half ended tied at zero.

The Panthers came out ready for the win during the second half. First-year Alexander Dexter scored the only goal of the game during the 52nd minute of play. The Panthers played tight defense, holding the Fighting Irish to a scoreless game.

“I am very excited for the guys and proud of their efforts,” head coach Jay Vidovich said. “I thought we came out fantastic in the second half, we got our goal and we were able to defend our lead.”

The Panthers will travel to Charlottesville to take on No. 10 Virginia this Friday as they seek another win against a ranked team.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s soccer team (3-9-3, 0-6-1 ACC) was unable to secure a win this weekend as they fell to Louisville (9-6-0, 3-4-0 ACC) on the road. The Cardinals shutout the Panthers, 3-0.

The Panthers were unable to get out from Louisville’s early lead. Just three minutes into the game, Cardinal Brooklyn Rivers scored the first goal of the game. Then, eight minutes later, Taylor Kerwin of the Cardinals rolled in another goal.

The Panthers worked to close the gap during the second half, but were unsuccessful. Louisville added to their lead a few minutes into the second half, scoring their third goal. Panthers Taylor Pryce and Juelle Love achieved the only two shots on goal of the game.

The women’s squad hopes to turn their luck around as they head to Florida to take on Miami on Oct. 19, and Florida State on Oct. 22.

Women’s Volleyball

The Panther volleyball team (15-4, 8-0 ACC) remains undefeated in conference play after their weekend wins against Syracuse (14-7, 6-2 ACC) and Boston College (5-12, 2-5 ACC). The Panthers took to the road to challenge the Orange Friday and face the Eagles Sunday.

Though Pitt took their first set against Syracuse with a score of 26-24, it took some time to get into the groove.

After an early lead from the Orange, the Panthers worked to regain control. Sophomore Stephanie Williams, senior Alex Rosignol and sophomore Nika Markovich carried the Panthers to success in the first set.

Pitt continued their lead during the second set, squeezing another 26-24 victory. The two teams battled back and forth, keeping the score close throughout. Late kills from Layne Van Buskirk and Markovic sealed the victory for the Panthers.

The Panthers clinched their seventh conference win after they defeated the Orange during the third set, with a score of 25-19.

Pitt started off strong and determined, claiming an early lead. Syracuse did not go down without a fight as they tied the Panthers halfway through. The Panthers pulled together, ultimately defeating the Orange.

The squad continued their road trip as they headed to Boston College this past Sunday to take on the Eagles. They snagged their 12th straight win of the season, 25-18, and improved to 8-0 in the ACC.

The Panthers held control of the Eagles from the start, firing off kills and dominating the first set, 25-17. First-year Chinaza Ndee and Williams led the team with four kills apiece.

Pitt also held the Eagles during the second set, and in a closely held back-and-forth matchup, came out on top 25-22.

The Panthers struggled to gain an early lead during the second set, unable to secure the win until the end. First-year Kayla Lund led the set for the Panthers with four kills, while Williams and Van Buskirk both had three.

The Eagles were no match for the Panthers, though, as Pitt took an early lead in the third set and secured their match win. Williams finished out the matchup for the Panthers with two straight kills.

On the day, Pitt out-scored Boston College 54-40, with 38 kills to their 34. The Eagles’ combination of attack and service errors contributed to their downfall heavily.

The Panthers will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels back at home this Friday at 7 p.m. in the hopes of defending their undefeated ACC record.

Cross Country

Pitt cross country was on the road Saturday as they headed to Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky, to compete in the Pre-National Invitational. The Panthers finished 25th out of the 43 competing teams.

Leading the Men’s Seeded 8K for Pitt was junior Ryan Hughes, who placed 71st overall with a personal record of 24:16.1. Behind Hughes were junior teammate Aaron Lauer — placing 74th with a time of 24:17.4 — and sophomore Nick Wolk, placinging 94th with a time of 24:46.6.

Junior Gillian Schriever continued the success for the Panthers, placing 60th in the women’s 6K with a time of 20:50.6. Following Schriever was junior Miranda Salvo, placing 111th, and Kelly Hayes, placing 150th.

The Panthers hope to improve in the coming weeks, when they travel back to Sawyer Park for the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27.