People wondered about the PG writers?

[Fk_Pitt]

So I heard some Joe Starkey comments yesterday and I’ll share them as I totally agree.

First of all, after the match I said “same old Pitt”. That’s what my inner circle always says because we’ve been watching our sports teams do things that are inexplicable at times. Why? It can’t be explained. It’s just a Pitt thing. It’s who we are. And the older you are, the more examples of heartbreak you have. So these are my thoughts and not Joe Starkeys. But they tie into what he said. Here are his comments:

He compared Pitt volleyball to his beloved Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and Bill Cowher’s Steelers. First he recognized Pitt Vball for their greatness despite losing on Thursday.

But what else he said in comparison to the Bills, Jackson and Cowher was profound and accurate and runs parallel to my thoughts.

He loved the Bills. They were great. But for reasons that can’t be explained, they fell short in 4 straight super bowls.

He said Lamar Jackson is great. He’s a HOFer who will eventually go down as one of the best ever. But against the Steelers and deep in the playoffs, he’s reduced to just another QB for reasons that can’t be explained.

Bill Cowher had great teams, teams much much better than any Steeler teams we’ve seen in 14 years. They were often so good that they earned multiple home AFC Championship games. Yet for reasons that can’t be explained, the Steelers under Cowher could not get over that hump even though they were the best team in football.

Until finally Cowher did get over that hump vs Harbaugh’s Colts.

Jackson needs to get over that steeler hump and maybe today is the day.

Fisher will get over the hump. We just don’t know when. Why he hasn’t can’t be explained. We talk on these boards on what he needs to do to improve the roster…but the roster was already good enough. We were the #1 overall seed. We were the envy of the Vball world. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason.

Or maybe (me speaking here) it’s just that we are Pitt and this is what happens to us, for reasons that can’t be explained?

And maybe Dan and his ladies will be the ones to break through for the entire university.

 

[MartyInLawrenceville]

I truly believe they will get over the hump. I absolutely loved this senior class though. Flood is my favorite all-time Pitt VB player. She just seemed to capture everybody’s hearts, especially the kids. Emmy, despite her size, played like she was 10 feet tall for four years. Just reckless abandonment that usually resulted in point saving plays. Rachel is, well, Rachel. Nothing more needs to be said. VVG, was like the den mother. You could tell how much they meant to the rest of the team. With Flood and VVG coming back because they thought Pitt could win a Championship, and coming “that close“, it’s just really frustrating.

 

[PittMBA]

So I heard some Joe Starkey comments yesterday and I’ll share them as I totally agree.

First of all, after the match I said “same old Pitt”. That’s what my inner circle always says because we’ve been watching our sports teams do things that are inexplicable at times. Why? It can’t be explained. It’s just a Pitt thing. It’s who we are. And the older you are, the more examples of heartbreak you have. So these are my thoughts and not Joe Starkeys. But they tie into what he said. Here are his comments:

He compared Pitt volleyball to his beloved Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and Bill Cowher’s Steelers. First he recognized Pitt Vball for their greatness despite losing on Thursday.

But what else he said in comparison to the Bills, Jackson and Cowher was profound and accurate and runs parallel to my thoughts.

He loved the Bills. They were great. But for reasons that can’t be explained, they fell short in 4 straight super bowls.

He said Lamar Jackson is great. He’s a HOFer who will eventually go down as one of the best ever. But against the Steelers and deep in the playoffs, he’s reduced to just another QB for reasons that can’t be explained.

Bill Cowher had great teams, teams much much better than any Steeler teams we’ve seen in 14 years. They were often so good that they earned multiple home AFC Championship games. Yet for reasons that can’t be explained, the Steelers under Cowher could not get over that hump even though they were the best team in football.

Until finally Cowher did get over that hump vs Harbaugh’s Colts.

Jackson needs to get over that steeler hump and maybe today is the day.

Fisher will get over the hump. We just don’t know when. Why he hasn’t can’t be explained. We talk on these boards on what he needs to do to improve the roster…but the roster was already good enough. We were the #1 overall seed. We were the envy of the Vball world. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason.

Or maybe (me speaking here) it’s just that we are Pitt and this is what happens to us, for reasons that can’t be explained?

And maybe Dan and his ladies will be the ones to break through for the entire university.

Look - I get it . But saying we can’t have good things after 4 straight final 4s is tone deaf.

If the basketball team made 4 straight final 4s we’d be on cloud 9.

We literally have the best player in the country for 2 more years . We are recruiting at the highest level. These are golden years .

Reminds me a bit of the post Dorsett era in football - yes wish we had won a national championship one of those years post Dorsett— but so many seemed unable to enjoy cause they weren’t perfect .

Yes - disappointing to lose - but we are an elite program thst will continue to compete for national championships.

 

[Franb]

So I heard some Joe Starkey comments yesterday and I’ll share them as I totally agree.

First of all, after the match I said “same old Pitt”. That’s what my inner circle always says because we’ve been watching our sports teams do things that are inexplicable at times. Why? It can’t be explained. It’s just a Pitt thing. It’s who we are. And the older you are, the more examples of heartbreak you have. So these are my thoughts and not Joe Starkeys. But they tie into what he said. Here are his comments:

He compared Pitt volleyball to his beloved Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and Bill Cowher’s Steelers. First he recognized Pitt Vball for their greatness despite losing on Thursday.

But what else he said in comparison to the Bills, Jackson and Cowher was profound and accurate and runs parallel to my thoughts.

He loved the Bills. They were great. But for reasons that can’t be explained, they fell short in 4 straight super bowls.

He said Lamar Jackson is great. He’s a HOFer who will eventually go down as one of the best ever. But against the Steelers and deep in the playoffs, he’s reduced to just another QB for reasons that can’t be explained.

Bill Cowher had great teams, teams much much better than any Steeler teams we’ve seen in 14 years. They were often so good that they earned multiple home AFC Championship games. Yet for reasons that can’t be explained, the Steelers under Cowher could not get over that hump even though they were the best team in football.

Until finally Cowher did get over that hump vs Harbaugh’s Colts.

Jackson needs to get over that steeler hump and maybe today is the day.

Fisher will get over the hump. We just don’t know when. Why he hasn’t can’t be explained. We talk on these boards on what he needs to do to improve the roster…but the roster was already good enough. We were the #1 overall seed. We were the envy of the Vball world. It just didn’t work o

So I heard some Joe Starkey comments yesterday and I’ll share them as I totally agree.

First of all, after the match I said “same old Pitt”. That’s what my inner circle always says because we’ve been watching our sports teams do things that are inexplicable at times. Why? It can’t be explained. It’s just a Pitt thing. It’s who we are. And the older you are, the more examples of heartbreak you have. So these are my thoughts and not Joe Starkeys. But they tie into what he said. Here are his comments:

He compared Pitt volleyball to his beloved Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and Bill Cowher’s Steelers. First he recognized Pitt Vball for their greatness despite losing on Thursday.

But what else he said in comparison to the Bills, Jackson and Cowher was profound and accurate and runs parallel to my thoughts.

He loved the Bills. They were great. But for reasons that can’t be explained, they fell short in 4 straight super bowls.

He said Lamar Jackson is great. He’s a HOFer who will eventually go down as one of the best ever. But against the Steelers and deep in the playoffs, he’s reduced to just another QB for reasons that can’t be explained.

Bill Cowher had great teams, teams much much better than any Steeler teams we’ve seen in 14 years. They were often so good that they earned multiple home AFC Championship games. Yet for reasons that can’t be explained, the Steelers under Cowher could not get over that hump even though they were the best team in football.

Until finally Cowher did get over that hump vs Harbaugh’s Colts.

Jackson needs to get over that steeler hump and maybe today is the day.

Fisher will get over the hump. We just don’t know when. Why he hasn’t can’t be explained. We talk on these boards on what he needs to do to improve the roster…but the roster was already good enough. We were the #1 overall seed. We were the envy of the Vball world. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason.

Or maybe (me speaking here) it’s just that we are Pitt and this is what happens to us, for reasons that can’t be explained?

And maybe Dan and his ladies will be the ones to break through for the entire university.

My take on this is that people are over analyzing it. The beauty of sports is that there is no script and anything can happen. Athletic performance is not linear, despite all attempts to predict the future based on the past. Last year's final 4 has nothing to do with this year's matches, just like last year's super bowl has nothing to do with this year's. How many times did we hear Pitt's player talk about how losing in past final 4's prepared them for this year's tournament, and what did all of that mean? I would say it meant nothing.

 

[persp]

So I heard some Joe Starkey comments yesterday and I’ll share them as I totally agree.

First of all, after the match I said “same old Pitt”. That’s what my inner circle always says because we’ve been watching our sports teams do things that are inexplicable at times. Why? It can’t be explained. It’s just a Pitt thing. It’s who we are. And the older you are, the more examples of heartbreak you have. So these are my thoughts and not Joe Starkeys. But they tie into what he said. Here are his comments:

He compared Pitt volleyball to his beloved Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and Bill Cowher’s Steelers. First he recognized Pitt Vball for their greatness despite losing on Thursday.

But what else he said in comparison to the Bills, Jackson and Cowher was profound and accurate and runs parallel to my thoughts.

He loved the Bills. They were great. But for reasons that can’t be explained, they fell short in 4 straight super bowls.

He said Lamar Jackson is great. He’s a HOFer who will eventually go down as one of the best ever. But against the Steelers and deep in the playoffs, he’s reduced to just another QB for reasons that can’t be explained.

Bill Cowher had great teams, teams much much better than any Steeler teams we’ve seen in 14 years. They were often so good that they earned multiple home AFC Championship games. Yet for reasons that can’t be explained, the Steelers under Cowher could not get over that hump even though they were the best team in football.

Until finally Cowher did get over that hump vs Harbaugh’s Colts.

Jackson needs to get over that steeler hump and maybe today is the day.

Fisher will get over the hump. We just don’t know when. Why he hasn’t can’t be explained. We talk on these boards on what he needs to do to improve the roster…but the roster was already good enough. We were the #1 overall seed. We were the envy of the Vball world. It just didn’t work out for whatever reason.

Or maybe (me speaking here) it’s just that we are Pitt and this is what happens to us, for reasons that can’t be explained?

And maybe Dan and his ladies will be the ones to break through for the entire university.

I liken this loss to when the Buccos got beat by Arietta and MadBum in back to back years. The Bucs had all they needed to win it all, but both times tan into an extraordinary and nearly impossible situation.

Thats what Pitt ran into. Louisville played at the absolute top of their game with a raucous home crowd behind them. They were nearly flawless and that is extremely difficult for any team to beat.

If Louisville brings that level again, they sweep PSU

 

[Chairman Moe]

I liken this loss to when the Buccos got beat by Arietta and MadBum in back to back years. The Bucs had all they needed to win it all, but both times tan into an extraordinary and nearly impossible situation.

Thats what Pitt ran into. Louisville played at the absolute top of their game with a raucous home crowd behind them. They were nearly flawless and that is extremely difficult for any team to beat.

If Louisville brings that level again, they sweep PSU

The crowd; the momentum; the grittiness by their back row and blockers; the serves which put us out of system so often ... yes, if Louisville can recapture that on Sunday, they can win

 

[RightSaidTed]

I liken this loss to when the Buccos got beat by Arietta and MadBum in back to back years. The Bucs had all they needed to win it all, but both times tan into an extraordinary and nearly impossible situation.

Thats what Pitt ran into. Louisville played at the absolute top of their game with a raucous home crowd behind them. They were nearly flawless and that is extremely difficult for any team to beat.

If Louisville brings that level again, they sweep PSU

And despite all of that, we led 23-19 in the third set. Close that out, and there is a good chance we win the match. Look, I get it, sports are unpredictable and I am proud to be a fan of this team, regardless of the outcome. What burns me most is that I truly believe that the team (whichever it is) that is going to win the national championship on Sunday is not as good as Pitt.

 

[Ski11585]

I find this argument unconvincing. Once you get to the final four, winning is really hard. There’s no special hex on certain schools or teams.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

And despite all of that, we led 23-19 in the third set. Close that out, and there is a good chance we win the match. Look, I get it, sports are unpredictable and I am proud to be a fan of this team, regardless of the outcome. What burns me most is that I truly believe that the team (whichever it is) that is going to win the national championship on Sunday is not as good as Pitt.

Yeah, it's the vagaries of a single elimination tournament. You play at a C-grade level for one hour and your season is over. Full credit to Louisville for how well they played, they won the match that mattered most, but if you're judging a team's whole body of work over the full season, I still rank Pitt #1 overall.

 

[vantheman1976]

Yeah, it's the vagaries of a single elimination tournament. You play at a C-grade level for one hour and your season is over. Full credit to Louisville for how well they played, they won the match that mattered most, but if you're judging a team's whole body of work over the full season, I still rank Pitt #1 overall.

For a full season....Pitt was putting up about 19 points/set....and that's exactly what they did on Thursday. The offence was doing what they do. Louisville....however....put up an incredible 21 points/set. That is almost unheard of. I would have to check....but I'll bet they hadn't done that in any match all year. Pitt also was only giving back around 6 points/set all season long. On Thursday....it was 9 points/set.....and as it turned out....Louisville gave back only 6 points/set. That 5 point/set Louisville advantage cost us the match. That 5 point advantage was due to 3 things......8 more blocks, 2 less serving errors, and 6 more aces by Louisville....a total of 16 points or in other words 4 points/set. Add to that fact about 13,000 Louisville fans to around Pitt's 1000 or so and the die was cast.

Emmy Klika ia an above average libero who has come a long way since that set 5 massacre 2 years ago at the hands of Louisville when they knocked Pitt out in the semi final game. However.....Fisher has stuck with a 6 rotation line-up keeping VVG, Stafford, and Babcock on the court constantly......and although these 3 play adequate defense they are not defense specialists. That caught up with us during the tournament as the back row defense was stretched too far with Louisville's 'lights out' hitting and their ACC freshman of the year setter.

I want to add that a serious stomach virus or perhaps food poisoning hit the team right after selection Sunday on December 1st. This is not an excuse.....just a fact.....and it could explain in part.....Pitt's somewhat diminished performance during the tournament. That is just my opinion.

I have no doubt Pitt will excel again in 2025.....and another final 4 will not surprise me. As far as Louisville is concerned.....I will never cheer for them and their smug faced coach DBK.

 

[Chairman Moe]

For a full season....Pitt was putting up about 19 points/set....and that's exactly what they did on Thursday. The offence was doing what they do. Louisville....however....put up an incredible 21 points/set. That is almost unheard of. I would have to check....but I'll bet they hadn't done that in any match all year. Pitt also was only giving back around 6 points/set all season long. On Thursday....it was 9 points/set.....and as it turned out....Louisville gave back only 6 points/set. That 5 point/set Louisville advantage cost us the match. That 5 point advantage was due to 3 things......8 more blocks, 2 less serving errors, and 6 more aces by Louisville....a total of 16 points or in other words 4 points/set. Add to that fact about 13,000 Louisville fans to around Pitt's 1000 or so and the die was cast.

Emmy Klika ia an above average libero who has come a long way since that set 5 massacre 2 years ago at the hands of Louisville when they knocked Pitt out in the semi final game. However.....Fisher has stuck with a 6 rotation line-up keeping VVG, Stafford, and Babcock on the court constantly......and although these 3 play adequate defense they are not defense specialists. That caught up with us during the tournament as the back row defense was stretched too far with Louisville's 'lights out' hitting and their ACC freshman of the year setter.

I want to add that a serious stomach virus or perhaps food poisoning hit the team right after selection Sunday on December 1st. This is not an excuse.....just a fact.....and it could explain in part.....Pitt's somewhat diminished performance during the tournament. That is just my opinion.

I have no doubt Pitt will excel again in 2025.....and another final 4 will not surprise me. As far as Louisville is concerned.....I will never cheer for them and their smug faced coach DBK.

I am torn between rooting for either team. For me it's like rooting for the Dodgers vs the Yankees in this year's WS. I didn't care for either team, and honestly didn't watch one pitch. Penn State (as a university and their football fan base) is = to the Yankees. Hated them for as long as I can remember (60+ years). Louisville is similar to the Dodgers. Don't really hate them but they aren't a program I ever root for

Which brings me to Sunday. I've become a much bigger fan of volleyball the past few years, and as much as I'm disappointed the Panthers aren't playing, I still want to see the match. I actually found myself liking Katie's girls as I watched the last three sets of their match against Nebraska. Their players are confident but not smug. Their coach is much more likable than Bussbum. And, she is undergoing chemotherapy. As a cancer survivor I am hoping that she and her team win. While it goes against my tendency to root against the Nits, I'm all in for them on Sunday. Cancer sucks

 

[vantheman1976]

I am torn between rooting for either team. For me it's like rooting for the Dodgers vs the Yankees in this year's WS. I didn't care for either team, and honestly didn't watch one pitch. Penn State (as a university and their football fan base) is = to the Yankees. Hated them for as long as I can remember (60+ years). Louisville is similar to the Dodgers. Don't really hate them but they aren't a program I ever root for

Which brings me to Sunday. I've become a much bigger fan of volleyball the past few years, and as much as I'm disappointed the Panthers aren't playing, I still want to see the match. I actually found myself liking Katie's girls as I watched the last three sets of their match against Nebraska. Their players are confident but not smug. Their coach is much more likable than Bussbum. And, she is undergoing chemotherapy. As a cancer survivor I am hoping that she and her team win. While it goes against my tendency to root against the Nits, I'm all in for them on Sunday. Cancer sucks

Battling cancer myself......stay well amigo! I can't equate PSU's volleyball team to my other disdain for them. You know Pitt pulled Serena Gray from them 4 years ago. Coach Katie is one of my favorites.....she was so humble and complementary of Pitt when we demolished them earlier this year. It's impossible for me to dislike her.....plus I really like the athletes on their squad. I'm all in on PSU Sunday.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Their coach is much more likable than Bussbum. And, she is undergoing chemotherapy. As a cancer survivor I am hoping that she and her team win. While it goes against my tendency to root against the Nits, I'm all in for them on Sunday. Cancer sucks

I'll never root for the nitters, but if they do win a part of me will feel good for Schumacher-Cawley with all she is going through.

A small part, mind you, but a part none the less.

 

[vantheman1976]

I'll never root for the nitters, but if they do win a part of me will feel good for Schumacher-Cawley with all she is going through.

A small part, mind you, but a part none the less.

Always best to go to bed a little pissed off.....takes the edge off for me....and I love hating Louisville

 

[Chairman Moe]

Battling cancer myself......stay well amigo! I can't equate PSU's volleyball team to my other disdain for them. You know Pitt pulled Serena Gray from them 4 years ago. Coach Katie is one of my favorites.....she was so humble and complementary of Pitt when we demolished them earlier this year. It's impossible for me to dislike her.....plus I really like the athletes on their squad. I'm all in on PSU Sunday.

You have my prayers, Van. I'm a 20 year and counting cancer survivor and count my blessings every day. I am staying well; enjoying each day above the dirt, and hope your battle will be won. PM me (with your email address, as I'm not a Gold member) if you ever want to discuss or need some support

I know what you mean about being able to separate the PSU Volleyball program from the rest of Happy Valley. And I do remember Serena Gray. And I agree that Katie is all class. DBK is a chip off the shoulder of John Cook. I'm really glad it wasn't UL v NE for the NC. I definitely would not have watched that one

Be well

 

[vantheman1976]

You have my prayers, Van. I'm a 20 year and counting cancer survivor and count my blessings every day. I am staying well; enjoying each day above the dirt, and hope your battle will be won. PM me (with your email address, as I'm not a Gold member) if you ever want to discuss or need some support

I know what you mean about being able to separate the PSU Volleyball program from the rest of Happy Valley. And I do remember Serena Gray. And I agree that Katie is all class. DBK is a chip off the shoulder of John Cook. I'm really glad it wasn't UL v NE for the NC. I definitely would not have watched that one

Be well

I'm doing fine.....back at you with a 'high five'!

 

[Blue Goose]

anything on fisher taking another job???

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

And I do remember Serena Gray.

Sometime in early 2023 at a Saturday afternoon basketball game they had the volleyball team there signing autographs before the game and then had them out on the court in one of the timeouts to recognize their Final Four season. I'm not an autograph person, so I wasn't going to get them, but their table was set up on the concourse on my walk to my seat. And there was basically no one there getting autographs at all. I think there were two 10-ish year old girls going through the line, and on one else around at all. So I think to myself, hey, go through the line and get autographs but more just as a chance to thank the players for a great year and to wish them luck on winning a championship in the future, that sort of thing. So at the end of the line was Serena Gray. And for some reason (probably because she was getting bored sitting there with no one coming through the line) we struck up a conversation. So for several minutes I stood there next to the end of the table talking to her. She was great.

The funny thing is that somehow the Field House came up, and I said that before the Petersen Center was built that that was where the men's and women's basketball teams both played, and she couldn't believe it. I think she had a hard time believing that a major conference school like Pitt could have played their men's basketball games in such a dump.

 

[Chairman Moe]

Sometime in early 2023 at a Saturday afternoon basketball game they had the volleyball team there signing autographs before the game and then had them out on the court in one of the timeouts to recognize their Final Four season. I'm not an autograph person, so I wasn't going to get them, but their table was set up on the concourse on my walk to my seat. And there was basically no one there getting autographs at all. I think there were two 10-ish year old girls going through the line, and on one else around at all. So I think to myself, hey, go through the line and get autographs but more just as a chance to thank the players for a great year and to wish them luck on winning a championship in the future, that sort of thing. So at the end of the line was Serena Gray. And for some reason (probably because she was getting bored sitting there with no one coming through the line) we struck up a conversation. So for several minutes I stood there next to the end of the table talking to her. She was great.

The funny thing is that somehow the Field House came up, and I said that before the Petersen Center was built that that was where the men's and women's basketball teams both played, and she couldn't believe it. I think she had a hard time believing that a major conference school like Pitt could have played their men's basketball games in such a dump.

I've never been there, but Cameron Indoor (Duke) has a "dump" look to it, too. And the Rec Center in HV is no Taj Mahal. I like to think that these buildings, along with FFH, have "character"

I remember many BB games @ FFH. Watching the '73/'74 Elite Eight team, e.g.

 

[vantheman1976]

Sometime in early 2023 at a Saturday afternoon basketball game they had the volleyball team there signing autographs before the game and then had them out on the court in one of the timeouts to recognize their Final Four season. I'm not an autograph person, so I wasn't going to get them, but their table was set up on the concourse on my walk to my seat. And there was basically no one there getting autographs at all. I think there were two 10-ish year old girls going through the line, and on one else around at all. So I think to myself, hey, go through the line and get autographs but more just as a chance to thank the players for a great year and to wish them luck on winning a championship in the future, that sort of thing. So at the end of the line was Serena Gray. And for some reason (probably because she was getting bored sitting there with no one coming through the line) we struck up a conversation. So for several minutes I stood there next to the end of the table talking to her. She was great.

The funny thing is that somehow the Field House came up, and I said that before the Petersen Center was built that that was where the men's and women's basketball teams both played, and she couldn't believe it. I think she had a hard time believing that a major conference school like Pitt could have played their men's basketball games in such a dump.

She was a great one....one of my favorites

 

[CrazyPaco]

Sometime in early 2023 at a Saturday afternoon basketball game they had the volleyball team there signing autographs before the game and then had them out on the court in one of the timeouts to recognize their Final Four season. I'm not an autograph person, so I wasn't going to get them, but their table was set up on the concourse on my walk to my seat. And there was basically no one there getting autographs at all. I think there were two 10-ish year old girls going through the line, and on one else around at all. So I think to myself, hey, go through the line and get autographs but more just as a chance to thank the players for a great year and to wish them luck on winning a championship in the future, that sort of thing. So at the end of the line was Serena Gray. And for some reason (probably because she was getting bored sitting there with no one coming through the line) we struck up a conversation. So for several minutes I stood there next to the end of the table talking to her. She was great.

The funny thing is that somehow the Field House came up, and I said that before the Petersen Center was built that that was where the men's and women's basketball teams both played, and she couldn't believe it. I think she had a hard time believing that a major conference school like Pitt could have played their men's basketball games in such a dump.

After attending some of these capacity volleyball games at the Fitz, where attendance maxes at 2,864, it is hard to believe they crammed 6,798 in for men's hoops regularly. Hard to believe, even though I was there for many of those hoops games.

And man, are the upper deck bleachers uncomfortable.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

it is hard to believe they crammed 6,798 in for men's hoops regularly.

Heck, sometimes with people sitting in the aisles and on the floor there were probably more people than that in there!

 

[Chairman Moe]

After attending some of these capacity volleyball games at the Fitz, where attendance maxes at 2,864, it is hard to believe they crammed 6,798 in for men's hoops regularly. Hard to believe, even though I was there for many of those hoops games.

And man, are the upper deck bleachers uncomfortable.

What is the seating capacity of the new Victory Heights facility? Are they planning on having individual seats or bleachers? I suspect that the new facility will make Pitt even more competitive as a serious program and help with recruiting

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

What is the seating capacity of the new Victory Heights facility? Are they planning on having individual seats or bleachers? I suspect that the new facility will make Pitt even more competitive as a serious program and help with recruiting

It is supposed to be around 3,500 seats. The renderings that I have seen look like all seats, no bleachers.

 

[Chairman Moe]

It is supposed to be around 3,500 seats. The renderings that I have seen look like all seats, no bleachers.

I just found a website that showed renderings of the new facility. Interesting that multiple sites differed in their capacity thoughts. One said 2,500; another said 3,000; you indicate 3,500. I realize that the facility will provide seating for sports such as wrestling and gymnastics, as well as volleyball. Given what the volleyball program has done over the past decade, you'd think that having 4,000 - 5,000 seats would be more realistic as to what Pitt could sell for each game. Not sure what they get for wrestling matches and gymnastics meets. Either way, it certainly looks like an arena that can provide the teams with a positive fan experience

 

[Chaos]

I just found a website that showed renderings of the new facility. Interesting that multiple sites differed in their capacity thoughts. One said 2,500; another said 3,000; you indicate 3,500. I realize that the facility will provide seating for sports such as wrestling and gymnastics, as well as volleyball. Given what the volleyball program has done over the past decade, you'd think that having 4,000 - 5,000 seats would be more realistic as to what Pitt could sell for each game. Not sure what they get for wrestling matches and gymnastics meets. Either way, it certainly looks like an arena that can provide the teams with a positive fan experience

Seems kind of small for volleyball to be honest.

 

[pittdan77]

It’s hilarious that the only default is to compare this to football. It really isn’t. Especially saying it’s like anything Cowher had. Give me a break.

Pitt is very much an upstart program. It doesn’t have the history and has lacked the recruiting prowess of a big time school until very recently. Louisville is in the exact same boat other than they’re located in the middle of a talent rich area. Heck, until this year, the ACC has been treated like it’s not really that good. In volleyball terms, what Pitt has accomplished is pretty amazing considering who has won. The prior two years, Texas was absolutely stacked. Nobody was beating them. This year, I thought they had a shot but getting Louisville on their home floor was a bit of a downer. Disappointing but hardly a failure. Look at the teams Nebraska has had during the same period. They haven’t won it all either. My advice is to appreciate what it’s been and continue to support the program. It’s good and it’s set up for continuing success.

 

[phijo]

I don't view 4 final fours in consecutive years a failure at all. To be honest, this is the first year I though Pitt had a legit chance to win it all. Every reason to expect in the next several years (or more) Pitt to consistently be in the discussion for the final 4 and a shot at the national title like Texas, Nebraska, Wisconsin.

 

[pittdan77]

I just found a website that showed renderings of the new facility. Interesting that multiple sites differed in their capacity thoughts. One said 2,500; another said 3,000; you indicate 3,500. I realize that the facility will provide seating for sports such as wrestling and gymnastics, as well as volleyball. Given what the volleyball program has done over the past decade, you'd think that having 4,000 - 5,000 seats would be more realistic as to what Pitt could sell for each game. Not sure what they get for wrestling matches and gymnastics meets. Either way, it certainly looks like an arena that can provide the teams with a positive fan experience

I think the arena capacity will depend upon which sport is using it. That's why there are so many different numbers.