Norris sets records in her final season at Pitt

In collegiate sports, contributing as a four-year starter is impressive. Being named to a… In collegiate sports, contributing as a four-year starter is impressive. Being named to a postseason all-conference team is outstanding. And breaking a school record is historic.

Carrie Norris achieved all three of these feats for the Pitt volleyball team in 2002, and her accomplishments have earned her The Pitt News sports staff’s nod as Female Athlete of the Fall.

“This is quite an honor, especially since there are so many great female athletes at Pitt,” Norris said.

The senior setter from Fostoria, Ohio, broke Pitt’s all-time assist record, was named Big East Player of the Week twice, and earned postseason honors as an All-Big East Second Team selection. But according to Pitt head volleyball coach Chris Beerman, Norris’s most valuable contribution to the Panthers this season was her leadership.

“This year, Carrie’s the only senior on the team,” Beerman said. “She’s had to shoulder the burden of being a leader all by herself and she’s handled it beautifully.”

“From the setting position it’s pretty natural to take a leadership position on the court anyway,” Norris said. “But as a senior, there is some extra pressure. But you go through a similar situation in high school, so it’s a pretty natural transition.”

Norris started the season strong and never faltered. After being named to the Pittsburgh Invitational All-Tournament Team in early September, thanks to a 131-assist effort, Norris garnered her third career Big East player of the Week honor Sept. 9. The Panthers rolled through September and early October, and Norris helped lead Pitt to a historic 11-game winning streak.

On Nov. 4, Norris was primed to rewrite the record books. Heading into a matchup against Seton Hall, Norris stood at 4,408 assists, and needed just 49 to pass Annemarie Mernagh on Pitt’s all-time list. She responded by racking up 66 helpers against the Pirates and finished the season with a career total of 4,727 assists to become Pitt’s all-time leader.

“It’s one of those things that you don’t really think about when you come to school,” Norris said about her record. “But over the years, the numbers just add up, and it’s pretty cool.”

The following week, Norris shattered another record as she notched a Big East single-game record 79 assists in a crucial Nov. 10 win over Virginia Tech. The performance earned Norris her second Big East Player of the Week nod of the season, and Beerman says that it was Norris’s best game of the year.

“We had our backs up against the wall against Miami and Virginia Tech, and Carrie was more competitive in those two games than I have ever seen her,” Beerman said. “My memory of her will always be the intensity she displayed in those two games.”

The Miami and Virginia Tech games were personal highlights for Norris as well, but her favorite performance of the season came as a result of a sibling rivalry.

Carrie’s sister, Susie Norris, is a junior left-side hitter at Bowling Green State University. On Sept. 7, Carrie led the Panthers to a 3-1 victory over her sister’s visiting Falcons.

“One of my best games this year was against Bowling Green when I played against my sister,” Norris said. “There was definitely an extra competitive element there.”

Norris finished the season with 1,322 assists and her 12.71 assists per game average was second in the Big East. She also finished eighth in the conference with 38 service aces and is in the top five in career services aces at Pitt. The Panthers finished the season with a 20-9 record and a tie for fourth place in the Big East, but a regular season loss to Connecticut kept them out of the Big East Tournament.

According to Beerman, Norris’ leadership and intangibles make her a difficult player to replace.

“She has an innate ability to make other players better,” Beerman said. “She’s had several different hitters to set for over the years, but if you look at her assists per game average from year to year, it’s been very consistent. That’s a testimony to her individual consistency as a player and to her assist record.

“We’re really going to miss her. She’s been a tremendous player and she will leave a big void to fill.”