Pitt volleyball: ranked #1 in nation first first time in history.

[CrazyPaco]

Check out the latest polls for NCAA & high school volleyball

See what college and high school teams are ranked in the latest AVCA Coaches Polls all season long.

www.avca.org

1. Pitt (29)
2. Stanford (23)
3. Penn State (6)
4. Louisville (1)
15. Georgia Tech
20. Miami
21. Florida State
ORV: SMU

After football and men's basketball, I'm pretty sure that volleyball is now only the third varsity sports program in Pitt's history to have obtained a #1 national ranking.

Wednesday, September 18th, 7pm: #3 Penn State @ #1 Pitt at the Pete (ACCN)

Other home games vs ranked opponents:
Sunday, September 29th, 1:30pm: ORV SMU at Fitzgerald (ACCN)
Sunday, October 20th, 3pm: #2 Stanford at Fitzgerald (ESPN)
Friday, October 25th, 7pm: #4 Louisville at the Pete (ACCNX)
Friday, November 15th, 7pm: #21 FSU at Fitzgerald (ACCNX)
Sunday, Novembr 17th, 1pm: #20 Miami at Fitzgerald (ACCNX)
Saturday, November 30th, 1pm: #15 Georgia Tech at Fitzgerald (ACCNX), final regular season game.

 

[mlvnsmly]

10/20 👀

 

[ThePanthers]

Nice!!!! And 5 ranked acc teams

 

[Upg bobcat]

This might be Heather's greatest legacy.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Heather Spike 4Lyfe!!!!

I bet if she was on that island with Tom Hanks she'd have chosen the volleyball over the A-list actor.

 

[NCPitt]

Fantastic. They are fun to watch!

 

[CrazyPaco]

 

[CrazyPaco]

This might be Heather's greatest legacy.

or Steve Pederson's?

 

[singregardless]

Men's Soccer hit #1 back in October 2020.

What a ride it's been.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Men's Soccer hit #1 back in April 2021, during that weird 2020/2021 split schedule.

What a ride it's been.

Thanks for the correction. Forgot about that.

It hasn't happened very much at Pitt. Here's hoping the ladies keep it for a long stretch.

 

[pittguy81]

Let's hope that the Chancellor doesn't screw the Athletic Department up after firing AD Lyke.

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

They should display this trophy in the Cathedral for the entire semester.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Friendly reminder that success in a non revenue sport vs basketball and football do not have to be mutually exclusive. Pitt can have final fours in soccer and vb and still be just fine in football and basketball. It doesn’t take a Herculean effort to do both.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Thanks for the correction. Forgot about that.

It hasn't happened very much at Pitt. Here's hoping the ladies keep it for a long stretch.

Still hard for me to believe that the men’s soccer team was #1 after decades in exile on a polo field at Heartwood Acres (or wherever they played). That had to be the worst program in any sport in all of D1 athletics. I can’t even come up with an equivalent example in football or hoops because no school in either sport was ever that bad for so long.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

or Steve Pederson's?

I’d have to think that without Heather’s commitment to Fisher, he would have been gone a long time ago. Granted it’s a very expensive commitment, lol.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Friendly reminder that success in a non revenue sport vs basketball and football do not have to be mutually exclusive. Pitt can have final fours in soccer and vb and still be just fine in football and basketball. It doesn’t take a Herculean effort to do both.

This is a perfect example that you dont need a new arena to achieve great success in volleyball.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Still hard for me to believe that the men’s soccer team was #1 after decades in exile on a polo field at Heartwood Acres (or wherever they played). That had to be the worst program in any sport in all of D1 athletics. I can’t even come up with an equivalent example in football or hoops because no school in either sport was ever that bad for so long.

They went like 8 years or so without a conference win. It was a D2 or D3 program playing a D1 schedule.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

They went like 8 years or so without a conference win. It was a D2 or D3 program playing a D1 schedule.

Only program that I can think of that comes close is our womens soccer program. Lol.

I remember years ago a football team losing like 50-60 games in a row. It might have been Columbia. But even that doesn’t compare to the period of sustained futility of our men’s soccer team.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

This is a perfect example that you dont need a new arena to achieve great success in volleyball.

The issue of a new faciltiy is independent from the success of the vb team. The field house is below the line. Pitt should upgrade from it because they want to have similar facilities to its peer group. It’s embarrassing to have several teams use the field house just like the soccer teams were an embarrassment. It’s ok to spend money to keep up with its peer group in the power 4.

 

[CrazyPaco]

The issue of a new faciltiy is independent from the success of the vb team. The field house is below the line. Pitt should upgrade from it because they want to have similar facilities to its peer group. It’s embarrassing to have several teams use the field house just like the soccer teams were an embarrassment. It’s ok to spend money to keep up with its peer group in the power 4.

People also tend to assume Fisher would still be at Pitt without the commitment to upgrade facilities.

Pitt's facilities have been bottom of the barrel. The reality is Pitt did not look or act or perform like a major athletic program for the last 50 years, even when football or basketball were humming. It is just starting to emerge from that.

 

[pittdan77]

Thanks for the correction. Forgot about that.

Come on Paco. That team was heralded as the "Alabama of college soccer."

 

[pittdan77]

Pitt's facilities have been bottom of the barrel. The reality is Pitt did not look or act or perform like a major athletic program for the last 50 years, even when football or basketball were humming. It is just starting to emerge from that.

Still not where it needs to be for some sports but this is the truth.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I remember years ago a football team losing like 50-60 games in a row. It might have been Columbia. But even that doesn’t compare to the period of sustained futility of our men’s soccer team.

I think at the FBS level the longest college football losing streak is still Northwestern's 30-something game streak that would have happened in the early 80s.

 

[Dointhatrag]

Why couldnt the Vball team just use the Pete? I get that it is huge for the need but I dont think you would have too many posters complaining about the empty seats and optics. Seems like a waste of money

 

[pittdan77]

Why couldnt the Vball team just use the Pete? I get that it is huge for the need but I dont think you would have too many posters complaining about the empty seats and optics. Seems like a waste of money

There are multiple sports that are going to use that venue. Wrestling and gymnastics comes to mind.

It's also not just about where games are played but the current training facilities are lacking.

 

[CrazyPaco]

There are multiple sports that are going to use that venue. Wrestling and gymnastics comes to mind.

It's also not just about where games are played but the current training facilities are lacking.

volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, cheer, and the Pitt Band. It's not just a game venue, but also a training and performance center, and the Pete is already deficient for the needs of the two basketball teams in that area so there is no way to fit those sports and support groups in the Pete.

The sports will hold contests in the Pete when the size warrants it: like volleyball this Wednesday vs PSU.

 

[pittchagg]

People also tend to assume Fisher would still be at Pitt without the commitment to upgrade facilities.

Pitt's facilities have been bottom of the barrel. The reality is Pitt did not look or act or perform like a major athletic program for the last 50 years, even when football or basketball were humming. It is just starting to emerge from that.

From what I understand, without the commitments to build Victory Heights and support the program financially at a level that’s comparable with the best programs in college volleyball, it is highly, highly likely than Dan Fisher would be Penn State’s women’s volleyball coach right now. He was their top candidate two years ago when Russ Rose retired, and made a very compelling (and lucrative) pitch.

 

[pittchagg]

volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, cheer, and the Pitt Band. It's not just a game venue, but also a training and performance center, and the Pete is already deficient for the needs of the two basketball teams in that area so there is no way to fit those sports and support groups in the Pete.

The sports will hold contests in the Pete when the size warrants it: like volleyball this Wednesday vs PSU.

Victory Heights will be the competition and practice venue for volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics; the primary practice venue for cheerleading; and the strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and training facility for every Pitt sport other than football and men’s/women’s basketball.

 

[pittdan77]

From what I understand, without the commitments to build Victory Heights and support the program financially at a level that’s comparable with the best programs in college volleyball, it is highly, highly likely than Dan Fisher would be Penn State’s women’s volleyball coach right now. He was their top candidate two years ago when Russ Rose retired, and made a very compelling (and lucrative) pitch.

I've heard the same. The irony in that is that PSU is playing in a 100-year old barn but it hides the upgrades and the addition that has the training facilities. That PSU situation is messy and I bet it opens up again.