For the second season in a row, the Panther volleyball team is in the running to capture its… For the second season in a row, the Panther volleyball team is in the running to capture its second consecutive Big East title — and Pitt is succeeding under the campus radar that seems to pick up only football and basketball records.

The stealth Panthers (12-5 overall, 1-0 in the Big East) came into the 2004 season ranked second in the Big East behind rival Notre Dame — even though Pitt defeated the Irish twice in the 2003 season, once to capture the Big East title. On paper, Pitt looked like a young and inexperienced team at the start of the 2004 season. Head volleyball coach Chris Beerman liked where his team sat coming into this season.

“I agreed with the ranking we got at the beginning of the season,” Beerman said.

Beerman explained that the Panthers lost some big players from last season and have a lot of new starters this year. On paper, he said they don’t look like a team that should be ranked first, and he’s happy they are not.

“I’m glad we stand where we do,” Beerman said. “I would prefer to be second.”

Even with the pre-season expectations being set lower, Beerman and his players still feel pressured to live up to what was accomplished by last year’s team. Beerman said he knows that fans expect the team to be just as good, if not better, than they were the previous season. He also commented that while this team may be new, the chemistry on the court is starting to come together and the girls are doing a good job of making that happen.

With their first conference win under their belts, the Panthers now know what they have to do to be successful this year. The battle with St. John’s was not one that was easily won. Pitt dropped the first two games, and had to fight hard to win the next three and the match.

“That match was certainly a character-builder. We sucked it up and fought hard. That’s what we have to continue to do if we are going to be successful in our conference this season. We just have to grind through each game, one at a time,” Beerman said after the victory Friday evening.

Beerman added that while this game was a tough one, it is what he expects the rest of the conference schedule to be like. He feels that the conference is even this season, and that every team is good.

Right now, Pitt is foreseeing Notre Dame as one of its toughest opponents, but realizes that there are other teams that are still possible threats. Winning the opener, though, provided fuel and motivation to achieve their goals for the season.

“We’ve set a goal to make it to the NCAA tournament. If we do well in our conference, we can certainly achieve this,” Beerman said, confident in his team’s ability again this season.

Looking ahead to future matches, Beerman knows one of the most important factors that will determine his team’s success is focusing to play as a core group. It’s something the Panthers have worked on all season, and Beerman has seen the results when the girls play together.

Along with the team being able to gel, consistent individual performances from veterans are going to play a big role in the future success of the Panthers. Team leaders Megan Miller and Megan McGrane will be asked to step up and perform in each and every game.

“If we show up and play, we’ll win,” Beerman said. “Being able to rely on my veterans will be key though.”

The Panthers will dive into the remainder of their conference schedule next week as they take on Georgetown at home Oct. 23. The much-anticipated matchup with Notre Dame is not scheduled to take place until Nov. 12. The meeting between the Irish and the Panthers will take place at Notre Dame, little more than week before the Big East Championship Semi-finals are scheduled to start.

Beerman is in his fifth season at Pitt, and despite pre-season rumors, he said that he has no intentions of going anywhere soon, except maybe another Big East Championship.