Volleyball: Panthers hit the road for first time

In the early part of the season, the Panthers have made the most of their home-court advantage…. In the early part of the season, the Panthers have made the most of their home-court advantage. After hosting two tournaments at the Fitzgerald Field House, the Pitt volleyball team has emerged with a 6-1 record and will head down South for the weekend.

“As a team, we feed off of the energy of a home crowd,” senior middle blocker Kiesha Leggs said after a recent victory. “It means a lot to us to go out and defend our home court.”

The Panthers have been successful in that defense and hope to bring that attitude of dominance to the road as they travel to Florida to compete in this weekend’s University of Central Florida Tournament. It will be their first time playing away from the Fitzgerald Field House this season.

According to Leggs, playing as the “away” team does make a difference, but she is confident that the Panthers are ready for the challenge.

“When we play on the road, we need to take on a different mental focus,” Leggs said. “The court is not as familiar and our fans are not there, but we know we have to play the game the same way and retain our mental toughness.”

Head coach Toby Rens agreed that road games present a unique challenge, especially for younger players.

“There can be more distractions on the road that more experienced players might be used to,” Rens said. “I am glad we were able to begin this season at home so some of our younger players could get [to] adapt to collegiate play.”

Junior middle blocker Jasmine Dittrich noted that the Panthers have had the luxury of beginning the season at home, but the road trip gives the young team an opportunity to grow.

“It will definitely be a learning experience for the freshmen who have never played at another college venue,” Dittrich said. “As veteran players, we have to help them keep the game in-focus and play just as if we were defending our own court.”

For the Panthers, playing as they have at home will require a continued balanced contribution from the entire team.

“One of our strengths this year has been that so many players have stepped up at different times,” head coach Toby Rens said. “It has not been just one player, but an entire team effort.”

During the opening matches of the season, the Panthers have had four different players named to the all-tournament teams while one player earned MVP honors.

In the Pitt Panther Invitational, sophomore Monica Wignot was named MVP of the tournament after tallying 43 kills and 29 digs in four matches. Leggs and junior Margy Acton earned all-tournament selections.

Leggs totaled 35 kills and 15 blocks while Acton paced the defensive efforts with an average of 4.62 digs per set and contributed seven aces from the serving line.

The most recent University of Pittsburgh Invitational saw exceptional play from junior Dittrich and freshman setter Lindsey Zitzke, who earned the honors.

Dittrich led the Panthers with a .312 hitting percentage and eight blocks in three matches while Zitzke had 88 assists, 22 digs, five aces and five blocks on the weekend.

After her first week of collegiate play, Zitzke also earned an additional honor by being named the Big East Freshman of the Week. Wignot was also rewarded for her play with a spot on the conference Honor Roll.

The Panthers will play three matches in the UCF tournament against UCF (5-1), Florida Atlantic (0-3) and University of North Carolina, Greensboro (3-4).

“Each of the teams we are playing have a different style, so this tournament will give us a wide range of competition,” Rens said. “The most compelling match on paper looks to be against Central Florida, as they are an athletic team that is capable of matching our high-speed play.”

Dittrich is also looking forward to a weekend of high-level volleyball on a new court.

“We have been playing at home in front of our fans, and when we take on UCF it will be the opposite, since we are playing on their court,” Dittrich said. “It is a pressure atmosphere, but if we keep our focus it can be a chance to get a big win.”

Central Florida will also be riding an emotional high, as they recently earned their first victory over a ranked opponent when they defeated No. 3 USC on Sept. 2.

After play in Florida has ended, the Panthers will return home for the Pitt Blue and Gold Tournament. This will be a final tune-up opportunity before the Big East competition begins at the Field House against Seton Hall on Sept. 23.