Volleyball: Pitt to face Duquesne, South Florida in last regular season matches

The Pitt women’s volleyball team’s postseason fate will be determined by its final match at… The Pitt women’s volleyball team’s postseason fate will be determined by its final match at home this weekend.

If the Panthers win Sunday against the South Florida Bulls at the Fitzgerald Field House, they will qualify for the Big East Conference tournament, earning the eighth spot.

Pitt comes to this point having won its last two conference matches against St. John’s and Connecticut. Head coach Toby Rens and his players recognize the importance of Sunday’s contest.

“We need to go into the USF match-up with a must-win mentality, which we have had in our recent matches as well,” Rens said. “I have been happy with our focus as a team, and I expect it will continue.”

But before the Panthers face off against the Bulls, they will host crosstown rival Duquesne at the Fitzgerald Field House on Wednesday.

Despite the importance of the conference match-up with South Florida, Rens still understands the significance of the contest with Duquesne.

“This is a big rivalry match for us, and bragging rights are definitely on the line,” Rens said. “It is always nice to be able to defeat a rival, especially when you can do it defending your home court.”

The Panthers earned a 3-2 victory over St. John’s on Friday and followed that with a 3-1 win against Connecticut on Sunday. In those matches, the Panthers’ offensive balance was a key to their success.

Senior middle hitter Kiesha Leggs led the Panthers with 34 kills on the weekend while sophomore Monica Wignot and freshman Jessica Wynn finished with 25 and 22 kills, respectively.

“When we are able to get production from all hitting positions, it usually shows in the match outcome,” Rens said. “It takes pressure off of each individual hitter and allows them to be more successful.”

Freshman setter Lindsey Zitzke agreed and noted that a strong offense is the result of a solid defense.

“Everything starts with a good passing game, which allows me to get the sets out to all of our hitters,” Zitzke said. “Our defense this past weekend was solid, and that will be important in the final matches of the season as well.”

Pitt’s defensive foundation showed itself against St. John’s and Connecticut as the Panthers earned a total of 112 digs, including a career-best 21 from freshman Delaney Clesen in the Connecticut match.

Defense will be just as important when the Panthers take on the Dukes. Led by junior outside hitter Sara Scheirman, Duquesne has had a successful season thus far, boasting a 17-10 overall record and a record of 7-6 in their Atlantic 10 conference.

Scheirman led the Dukes in kills last season as a sophomore and is on pace to do so again this year with an average of 3.26 kills per set.

While the talent of the Dukes alone presents a challenge to the Panthers, the rivalry will add another dimension to the contest, especially since Duquesne won the past two match-ups.

Freshman defensive specialist Clesen is looking forward to playing a local opponent.

“I have heard about the rivalry with Duquesne from some of the veteran players, and their excitement is rubbing off on me,” Clesen said. “There is definitely a sense on the team that we want to get revenge from two consecutive losses and hopefully gain momentum going into our final Big East match.”

Clesen referred to that final match as a “do-or-die” situation in which the Panthers must prevail in order to secure their spot in the Big East tournament. To succeed, Clesen stressed the importance of aggressively attacking the Bulldogs’ game plan.

“Our main focus in practice this week will be certainly preparing for Duquesne but also looking toward USF and making sure we are able to shut down their offense,” Clesen said.

The Bulldogs have a potent offensive attack that is led by freshman outside hitter Valerie El Houssine. El Houssine was named to the Big East Honor Roll in two of the past three weeks and currently leads her team in kills with 328 for the season.

The Panthers can also combat South Florida’s offensive production by successfully executing their blocking game.

In the past two matches, the Panthers totaled 24 blocks, with 18 of them coming from a season-best blocking performance against St. John’s. In the St. John’s contest, Zitzke led the Panthers with a career-high eight blocks.

“Blocking is such an integral part of the game, and I was glad that I could contribute to it,” Zitzke said of her St. John’s performance. “Putting up a strong block can frustrate the opponent, and that is a good way to disrupt their style of play.”

With just two matches remaining, the Panthers are using this week to prepare for a solid finish to the 2011 season.

“I challenged the team last week to play their best volleyball, and that challenge will continue against Duquesne and USF,” Rens said. “So far the response has been impressive, and hopefully it will only improve in this final week.”