Soccer outshines preseason favorites volleyball early

In addition to Pitt football’s headline-grabbing win over conference rival Louisville on Saturday, other Panther teams had a busy and largely triumphant weekend. Both men’s and women’s soccer picked up road wins, taking down Notre Dame and The Citadel, respectively. Pitt volleyball did not experience that same success, though, as the team fell to Syracuse twice in back-to-back nights.

Women’s Soccer

Pitt, led by sophomore forward Amanda West and junior goalkeeper Katherine Robinson, bested The Citadel 1-0 on Sunday to improve to 6-0 in the young season.

West scored the match’s lone goal with less than three minutes left, shooting into the top right corner of the net to give Pitt the lead. West’s goal was all the Panthers needed to secure the win, as Robinson recorded her third shutout of the season to claim her sixth individual win.

Despite the close score, Pitt dominated the match throughout, topping The Citadel in shots (12-3), shots on goal (2-0) and corner kicks (11-2). Pitt is currently ranked No. 12 by the United Soccer Coach’s poll and will face off next against No. 11 Virginia next Thursday at 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Pitt men’s soccer opened its season with a win Saturday, topping Notre Dame 3-1 on the road. Senior forward Alexander Dexter got his season off to a hot start in the 11th minute, scoring from inside the 18-yard box on his first and only shot of the game to give the Panthers a 1-0 advantage.

The Irish tied the game at one by halftime, but Pitt cashed in on a lucky break early in the second half as a Notre Dame defender scored an own goal to put the visitors up 2-1.

Pitt built on the lead in the 72nd minute as first-year Bertin Jacquesson found the net to extend the lead to two. Pitt controlled the pace of the game, leading the Irish in shots 10-5. Graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano earned the win, recording one save.

Pitt’s next match is set for Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Syracuse at 7 p.m.

Volleyball

Pitt Volleyball did not fare as well over the weekend, beginning its season with a pair of losses at Syracuse. The Panthers lost in five sets in a rollercoaster season opener on Friday. Pitt won the first set 25-21 before dropping the next two by a combined 10 points. Pitt bounced back in the fourth set, earning a close 27-25 win before falling on the deciding fifth 15-9.

Panthers senior right side Chinaza Ndee finished Friday’s match with 21 kills, while sophomore setter Lexis Akeo had a team-best 32 assists, and sophomore middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo added four blocks and four kills.

Saturday’s match was not as competitive, as the Orange capped off their weekend with a 3-0 sweep over Pitt. The loss marked Pitt’s first sweep since 2017, with all three sets won by slim margins. Pitt trimmed Syracuse’s lead to two points in all three sets before ultimately falling short. Match one ended 25-21 after a closing 3-1 run by the Orange.

Set two went to extra points before Syracuse claimed the 27-25 win. Pitt was unable to climb out of the 2-0 deficit, falling in match three 25-19.

Pitt will look to bounce back in two weeks when it hosts Boston College for a pair of home matches on Oct. 9 and 10.