Column: Predictions for the Pitt fall sports season

Pitt doesn’t typically produce a conference champion in any sport that competes in the Big…Pitt doesn’t typically produce a conference champion in any sport that competes in the Big East, and with the new fall sports season upon us, changing that fact will be the goal for each team during the University’s final season in the conference.

Both soccer squads face the challenge of competing in the tough Big East and will look to climb the standings after low finishes in 2011.

The volleyball team returns an all-conference player and would like to make a strong run at the Big East tournament. It will need to put together a good season to avoid the clear top two in the conference during the first round of that tournament.

The football team, behind yet another new coach, will once again look to return to the glory days. Even though the program faces many challenges, the football conference appears to be the most winnable for any of the Big East fall sports.

And the young cross country teams will look to build on a campaign that saw some talented underclassmen gain valuable experience.

With action in the five fall sports at Pitt already under way, here’s a rundown of what you can expect during the next few months from each respective team.

Volleyball

Led by junior Monica Wignot, the Panthers were selected to finish sixth in the preseason Big East poll. Wignot was also selected for the All-Big East preseason team.

The two Big East opponents that the Panthers will meet twice are Seton Hall and Villanova — picked to finish seventh and eighth, respectively.

This will benefit Pitt because it will only meet with teams from the upper echelon of the conference once. Of that projected top five, the Panthers play three on the road and two at home.

Head coach Toby Rens’ squad starts the Big East season with a trip to New Jersey to face Seton Hall and Rutgers. Pitt will need to pick up two early wins because after that, the Panthers consecutively face four of the top five teams.

If the Panthers come out of the first six games at 4-2 or better, they could ride home matches to a winning record. But if they struggle out of the gate, they’ll need to finish strongly if they want to make the tournament.

This is certainly a program on the rise, and a top-eight finish should happen for Rens’s team, but don’t expect the Panthers to make too much noise in the Big East tournament.

Prediction:

I’ll go for a 9-6 Big East record for the Panthers. This will get them to the Big East tournament with a three or four seed. Louisville and Marquette appear to be the top dogs in the conference and avoiding them should allow the Panthers to advance through the first round.

Men’s Soccer

Pitt struggled in 2011, and the Panthers face an uphill battle to reach the top of the conference this season.

It doesn’t help that the Big East is by far the top soccer conference in the country, sending seven teams to the NCAA Tournament last fall.

With seven Big East teams in the preseason top 25 again this year, Pitt faces a challenging future. The Panthers, competitors in the Big East’s Blue Division, have No. 2 Connecticut, No. 16 Georgetown and No. 21 Notre Dame in their division.

The tough conference slate, along with the team’s status as young and lacking experience, will force the Panthers to the bottom of the standings. Head coach Joe Luxbacher will look to keep his team competitive before heading the ACC — another very competitive conference.

Prediction:

Don’t look for the Panthers to leave the Big East champions in their final year. I would expect something like a 6-11 Big East record for Pitt in 2012 — a slight improvement from 2011’s 4-13 record.

Women’s Soccer

Coach Greg Miller enters his first season leading the Panthers, and he will also have to deal with a very challenging conference.

After recording just one Big East win in 2011, Pitt needs to see improvement before heading to the ACC — the premier women’s soccer conference.

Senior Ashley Cuba returns to lead the Panthers in 2012. An All-Big East selection in 2011, Cuba is the program’s all-time goal leader with 21 total. She will look to set that record even higher in her final campaign.

Unless the team develops rapidly under Miller, Cuba will be one of few bright spots for the Panthers in 2012. Look for her to return to the all-conference teams — potentially first — but don’t expect to see the team finish in the top of the conference.

Prediction:

I’ll say the Panthers finish with a 5-12-2 season for their final go around in the Big East.

Cross Country

With a roster loaded with underclassmen, both Pitt cross-country teams seem to be stockpiling young talent as the program continues to make significant strides forward.

Led by junior Rich Addison on the men’s side and sophomore Morgan Perry on the women’s, the Panthers will hope to better their respectable results at last season’s NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals.

Prediction:

Coach Alonzo Webb’s team should continue to improve as the talented group gains experience, and Pitt will find some success at meets throughout the fall.

Football

The storylines for the 2012 Panthers are plentiful — new head coach, return to the pro-style system and a star running back returning from injury, among many others. But perhaps what will prove most influential in determining the team’s fate this year is its depth.

The Panthers’ starting lineup matches and even exceeds most teams in the conference. Senior running back All-American candidate Ray Graham and junior defensive tackle Aaron Donald will anchor the offense and defense. If Graham goes down, at least his is one of the deeper positions for Pitt, with sophomore Isaac Bennett and freshman Rushel Shell behind him. If Donald goes out, it’s a different story.

Sadly for new head coach Paul Chryst, injuries at other positions will be much harder to fill than a potential injury to Graham. Pitt has freshmen as backups at several positions, and that inexperience could damage the team’s hopes for the 2012 season.

Unlike soccer in the Big East, this football conference is very winnable, and all eight teams have a chance. So if the Panthers can stay healthy, they might just sneak into a BCS game.

Prediction:

I’m predicting an 8-4 (5-2 Big East) season with the easy schedule. If the team’s depth isn’t improved heading into 2013, life in the ACC could prove difficult for Pitt.