Volleyball, cross country and women’s soccer prepare for a weekend of competition and hopeful success.

Volleyball

The No. 1 ranked Pitt women’s volleyball team concludes its three-game California road trip with two games in Malibu this weekend. The first of the two games is on Friday at 9:30 p.m. against West Coast Conference preseason favorite Pepperdine. Pitt will stay in Southern California for its final test in the Golden State against UCSB on Saturday at 6 p.m. 

In these two matchups, the Panthers look to keep the brooms out. Pitt has yet to lose a single set all season long — the program’s best start since 2019 when the Panthers won 19 straight sets to begin the year.  

Pitt began its California outing on Wednesday night with a game against USC in the Galen Center. The Panthers swept the No. 23 ranked Trojans en route to their fourth victory of the year. 

Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford racked up another standout performance. She tabbed a .375 hitting percentage against the Trojans with 13 kills and added four blocks on the night. First-year middle blocker Ryla Jones had her best defensive performance as a collegiate athlete against USC, nabbing seven total blocks and three digs — both career highs.  

The Pepperdine matchup airs on ESPN+, but the UCSB game on Saturday will not be streamed. 

Cross country

Pitt men’s and women’s cross country will take on the Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State on Friday, Sept. 13 at the Blue-White Golf Course in University Park, Pennsylvania. 

The women will race a 6k starting at 10 a.m., while the men will compete in a 5.2-mile race set to begin at 10:45 a.m. Runners from the Big Ten conference will also be competing. 

The Panthers head into this weekend coming off of a major sweep at the Panther Opener home meet on Aug. 30 against Robert Morris and Carnegie Mellon. 

Pitt senior Quintin Gatons took first in the men’s 5k, and Pitt senior Winnie Incorvaia took first in the women’s 5k.

This is the second season with head coach Griff Graves who is bringing the program in a new and successful direction, according to multiple athletes.

Pitt junior Luke Simpson, who placed second at the Panther Opener, spoke of the upcoming meet at Happy Valley. 

“Next on the schedule is Penn State, so [we’re] focused quite a bit on that,” Simpson said. “But we’re looking forward to what this team can do by the end of the season and postseason.” 

Women’s soccer

Women’s soccer enters conference play this weekend in a home matchup against Louisville (5-1-2, 0-0-0 ACC). Pitt rounded out the first section of its season last Sunday against Mercyhurst and swept them 7-0. As a result, the Panthers head into ACC play this Saturday 6-1-1.

The last time the Panthers faced the Cardinals was in the 2023 season when Pitt fell 3-2. In this game, the Panthers dug themselves a hole early and could not recover, etching an L into their record and giving Louisville another all-time win. 

After last season, when the Panthers made their way to the ACC championship semifinals for the first time in program history, they look to conquer ACC foes once again. The matchup is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff this Saturday at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Watch the game live on ACC Network Extra.