Pitt’s 48-year drought could finally end in 2024. Pitt hasn’t won a team national championship in a varsity sport since Tony Dorsett led Pitt football to its ninth title in 1976.
With Pitt volleyball voted as the preseason favorite in a strong ACC, the near half-century drought could end. Head coach Dan Fisher has all the pieces to get Pitt volleyball over the Final Four hump and to its first National Championship, then win it. Here is a lineup breakdown of the stars that will share the court in blue and gold this upcoming fall.
Setter: Outside/Opposite Hitters and Libero
The Panthers’ leader of their 5-1 offense — five hitters-one setter — is senior setter Rachel Fairbanks, who is set for a chance to win AVCA National Player of the Year after earning herself a Preseason All-ACC Team mention. Fairbanks is coming off winning the ACC Setter of the Year and First Team All-American selection in 2023.
The senior setter’s 2023 offensive numbers speak for itself. Fairbanks finished with 933 assists and organized the Panthers to the fifth-best hitting percentage in the nation at .303. Defensively, the Tustin, California, native is just as stout. In 2023, she had 190 digs and 52.0 blocks, which is impressive production for a six-foot setter.
Opposite Hitter:
Sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock, like Fairbanks, is also on the preseason All-ACC Team with a shot to win AVCA National Player of the Year. Babcock finished her first year at Pitt winning a multitude of awards. Most notably, Babcock won ACC and AVCA National Freshman of the Year — both firsts in program history — and First Team All-American honors.
Babcock finished her first season at Pitt leading the program with 420 kills, a .306 hitting percentage and 51 aces. Defensively, the sophomore improved throughout the season and tallied 125 blocks and 159 digs.
Outside Hitters:
Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford would have most likely won ACC Freshman of the Year in 2023 if it weren’t for teammate Babcock. Nonetheless, she is still widely respected by ACC teams and is on the preseason All-ACC Team as well. Stafford finished her first year at Pitt with All-American Third-Team and All-ACC First-Team honors.
Similar to Babcock, Stafford was phenomenal during her first season at Pitt. The Torrance, California, product finished her first season at Pitt with 372 kills, a .277 hitting percentage and 15 aces. Stafford’s defense was just as good, with 202 digs, 73 blocks and a .936 reception percentage.
Sixth-year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez plays opposite Stafford in the Panthers 5-1 system. Vazquez Gomez’s offensive statistics weren’t as impressive in 2023, but she still gave the Panthers a noble option on the outside last season and earned herself All-ACC Second-Team honors.
The outside hitter from Puerto Rico had 245 kills, a .258 hitting percentage and 34 aces in 2023. On defense, Vazquez Gomez frustrated offenses when she was in the back row. The sixth-year completed her season with 212 digs, a .963 reception percentage — the best among players with at least 50 attempts — and 41.0 blocks.
Libero:
Senior libero Emmy Klika is the Panthers’ most underrated asset. Last season was Klika’s first time taking over the full-time libero role. After a season and a half of experience, the senior is due for a breakout season.
Klika finished her 2023 season with a career-high 344 digs and a .948 reception percentage. The libero from Novelty, Ohio, earned herself Second Team All-ACC and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors.
Middle Blockers:
Pitt fans know what is to come with every position besides middle blocker. The Panthers’ two primary middle blockers in 2023 graduated, and it’s a mystery who will get the starting nod for 2024.
After suffering a season-ending injury against Kentucky in her 10th set of the season, redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley is most likely going to earn one of the two middle blocker starting positions if she has fully recovered.
During Kelley’s 10 sets, she collected 26 kills, a .452 hitting percentage and 13.0 blocks. If Kelley’s 10-set statistics stayed true throughout the season, the Florida transfer would have had the best hitting percentage and third most kills for Pitt.
The Panthers’ second middle blocker is still in question. Both first-year middle blockers Bianca Garibaldi and Ryla Jones played in the short spring season. Based on what Pitt displayed in the four spring season games, Jones is above Garibaldi on the depth chart due to Jones playing slightly more minutes.
The Panthers added first-year middle blocker Dalia Vîrlan late in the recruitment process, and she has as good of a chance to earn the middle blocker position. Vîrlan competed with Romania’s senior national team at EuroVolley and could become the late-in-the-process gem Pitt needs.
Specialties and other players to know:
Graduate student Cat Flood is the ultimate utility player for Pitt. In 2023, she hit from all three front-row positions and worked as a serving substitution. Flood in all likelihood won’t play a ton in the front row this season, but will serve a valuable serving specialist for the Panthers.
Junior defensive specialist Dillyn Griffin will come in as a serving substitution and defensive specialist when an outside/opposite hitter is struggling or needs a breather.
Sophomore outside hitter Blaire Bayless and setter Haiti Tautua’a are in similar situations to one another. The two are behind All-Americans and in all likelihood won’t have much playing time in the 5-1 unless they pass someone in the Panthers’ depth chart. The two sophomores’ playing time could increase if Fisher switches to the 6-2 — something the Panthers’ head coach did multiple times last season.
The last two Panthers on the roster are first-year defensive specialist Mallorie Meyer and first-year right side/setter Kiana Dinn, both additional options off of the bench.
Pitt volleyball has the depth and talent to win a National Championship, but only time will tell if that can come to fruition.