Lee earns special Big East honor

Andy Lee didn’t get off on the right foot Saturday against Syracuse, fumbling his first snap… Andy Lee didn’t get off on the right foot Saturday against Syracuse, fumbling his first snap of the afternoon. The Orangemen returned the fumble for the first touchdown of the game.

But he rebounded strongly, averaging 49.5 yards on his next six punts, four of which were downed inside the 20-yard line – including one inside the 10-yard line and one at the Syracuse one-yard line. For his efforts, Lee was named this week’s Big East Special Teams Player of the Week.

Lee, a Westminster, S.C., native, watched three of his punts go over 50 yards, with his longest punt traveling 57 yards. Lee currently leads the Big East and is eighth in the country in punting with a 45.7-yard average.

Last year, Lee was named the Big East’s Special Teams co-Player of the Year.

Saturday, Lee and the Panthers take on the Eagles of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, a place where Pitt hasn’t won since 1989.

Pitt-Virginia Tech game to be nationally televised

When the Panther football team takes on the Virginia Tech Hokies Nov. 15 at Heinz Field, they will do so on either ESPN or ESPN 2. The decision of which channel will air the game will be made the Monday before the game. Kick-off is set for 7:45 p.m.

The Panthers are looking to knock off the Hokies for the third straight year after defeating them last year in Blacksburg, Va., 28-21 – behind three touchdown catches by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald – and upsetting Virginia Tech in 2001 at Heinz Field.

Macke Named Big East co-Player of the Week

Another school record fell this past weekend, but this time it didn’t fall to Larry Fitzgerald.

Lindsey Macke, a junior setter for the volleyball team, was named Big East co-Player of the Week, making her the fifth Panther to receive the honor this year, which eclipses the previous school record of four.

Macke, a Fort Thomas, Ky., native, averaged 14.67 assists per game in Pitt’s two victories this weekend over conference foes Seton Hall and Rutgers.

Her 1,165 assists rank sixth all-time in the Panther record books, and Macke is leading the Big East in assists per game with 13.72, which also ranks in the top 10 in the nation.

The Panthers are off to their best start in years at 18-3; they have won 12 matches in a row and 16 of their last 17.