What Pitt Athletics fans missed over Thanksgiving break

While students went back home for Thanksgiving break, Pitt Athletics stayed busy. Some teams continued their seasons, while others saw their seasons come to an end. 

Here is a recap of the busy Thanksgiving break.

Football

For many reasons, the end of Pitt football’s season couldn’t come faster. The Panthers (3-9, 2-6 ACC) headed into Thanksgiving break with a record of 3-8. The Panthers named redshirt sophomore Nate Yarnell as their starting quarterback prior to their season finale against Duke. The Panthers hoped that this would give them an opportunity to end their season on a positive note.

Even a decent performance from Yarnell couldn’t salvage the Panthers’ season. The Panthers fell handily to the Blue Devils 30-19, ending their season 3-9. The Panthers will have to wait until next season to redeem themselves, as they are not eligible for a Bowl game in 2023.

Volleyball

From Pitt’s worst fall team to its best — Pitt volleyball (25-4, 16-2 ACC) completed its dominant regular season over the break. The Panthers went 3-0 over break, first defeating Louisville 3-2 in front of a record-setting crowd.

The Panthers then swept Miami at home before heading on the road to sweep Syracuse. The latter contest named the Panthers 2023 Co-ACC champions with Notre Dame.

The Panthers’ dominant end to their season helped them achieve a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, meaning Panthers fans get to continue watching them play in Oakland heading into winter break. 

Cross Country

The Panthers had a lone representative for the NCAA championships. Senior Luke Henseler returned to the NCAA championships for the second consecutive year, finishing No. 173 out of 225 runners.

An overall up-and-down season ends for the Panthers, but Henseler’s efforts give the turbulent season a happy ending. 

Wrestling

No. 19 Pitt wrestling (4-1, 0-0 ACC) had a successful break, defeating two top-25 teams. The Panthers started the break by defeating No. 20 Lehigh 21-12 before traveling to College Park to defeat No. 25 Maryland 21-16.

The win against Maryland was payback for the Terrapins’ upset victory over the Panthers last season. Redshirt seniors and brothers Reece and Holden Heller both went 2-0 over the break to help the Panthers dominate the road trip. 

Women’s Basketball

Pitt women’s basketball (2-5, 0-0 ACC) struggled over the break. The Panthers started the break by losing the City Game to Duquesne 56-55. The Panthers then hosted Coppin State and were upset 56-61.

The Panthers continued their road trip by heading down south to participate in the Daytona Beach Classic. The Panthers first defeated Northern Kentucky 88-57 for their second victory of the season. But in their second game, the Panthers were narrowly defeated in overtime by Akron. The Panthers committed two fouls in the last minute to hand the Zips a victory.

The Panthers continue play Wednesday night against Saint Francis (0-6, 0-0 NEC). 

Women’s Soccer

The Panthers (17-6-1, 6-2-1 ACC) shocked soccer fans this year by winning 17 games — the most in school history. The Panthers started the break by defeating Memphis 3-0 to advance to their first-ever Elite Eight. 

Unfortunately for the Panthers, their Cinderella season ended in heartbreaking fashion to a team that haunted them all season. No. 1 Florida State (20-0-1, 9-0-1 ACC) defeated the Panthers 3-0 for their third victory over the Panthers this season.