ADVERTISEMENT

Pitt Volleyball Remains Ranked #8

Was Colorado State ranked? That seems like a bad loss but the loss to Tennessee this week was pretty bad. Should have dropped them out of the rankings. Getting a lot of credit for losing.
You are right....I misread that the Colorado State loss....so 6 losses to ranked teams.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pittdan77
Another nice and easy win for the most part.Need to stay focused because we’ll have a few more like this one.Cant get over how mature Stafford and Babcock are.
Just to add some info on Babcock and Stafford maturing as the season progresses. Their stat line through what is now the midpoint of the season is amazingly similar in virtually every statistical category to All Americans Kayla Lund and Courtney Buzzerio in their final year at Pitt. Said another way.....Babcock and Stafford are like having Buzzerio and Lund on the court at the same time. And here's the scary part. When the season began....you could see that both were clearly overwhelmed as they worked to adjust to the college game. No more. They have adjusted to the point that you can no longer tell they are freshmen.....and they are only 14 games into their Pitt careers!
 
Just to add some info on Babcock and Stafford maturing as the season progresses. Their stat line through what is now the midpoint of the season is amazingly similar in virtually every statistical category to All Americans Kayla Lund and Courtney Buzzerio in their final year at Pitt. Said another way.....Babcock and Stafford are like having Buzzerio and Lund on the court at the same time. And here's the scary part. When the season began....you could see that both were clearly overwhelmed as they worked to adjust to the college game. No more. They have adjusted to the point that you can no longer tell they are freshmen.....and they are only 14 games into their Pitt careers!
their athleticism just jumps out at you—- especially their back row kills— they are flying.

All nods to Lund and Buzzerio - but they were not hitting from the back row.

Also- just need to keep shouting out Monks. She is really playing well-
 
their athleticism just jumps out at you—- especially their back row kills— they are flying.

All nods to Lund and Buzzerio - but they were not hitting from the back row.

Also- just need to keep shouting out Monks. She is really playing well-
Agreed....and one more thing about Monks. Gray and Nwoloko were a one-two punch last year. No downgrade with Monks and Nwoloko....another one-two punch this year and just as good.
 
Easy win today over a very over matched Syracuse squad. Syracuse only dressed 8 players .

Not a whole lot to take away- Fairbanks and VVG didn’t play- both seemed fine ; Fairbanks went through warmups. Assume just rest and precaution. Akeo and Dalton started in place.

Thought Bayless played really well. Was a nice crowd .

Georgia Tech at home Friday will be fun.
 
Easy win today over a very over matched Syracuse squad. Syracuse only dressed 8 players .

Not a whole lot to take away- Fairbanks and VVG didn’t play- both seemed fine ; Fairbanks went through warmups. Assume just rest and precaution. Akeo and Dalton started in place.

Thought Bayless played really well. Was a nice crowd .

Georgia Tech at home Friday will be fun.
Agree with everything @PittMBA said. A Pitt fan sitting in front of me remarked that Syracuse has had a number of injuries which has hobbled their team a lot. They have only won 7 sets all year long. I thought our setters...minus Fairbanks....looked quite average. Georgia Tech will not be easy. Their stat line matches us quite closely. They beat Wake Forest today 3 sets to 2.

 
  • Like
Reactions: PittMBA
Pitt just got big help today - Louisville just lost in 4 sets at NC State. That was the most I’ve watched Ville this year and TBH wasn’t that impressed. The team isn’t that different from last year but they just looked off. Defense not as impressive as i expected. Also NC State has a really solid lefty hitting off the right side, they’re a good team at 13-2 this year. Should get in the rankings on Monday
 
Pitt just got big help today - Louisville just lost in 4 sets at NC State. That was the most I’ve watched Ville this year and TBH wasn’t that impressed. The team isn’t that different from last year but they just looked off. Defense not as impressive as i expected. Also NC State has a really solid lefty hitting off the right side, they’re a good team at 13-2 this year. Should get in the rankings on Monday
What a match....I just watched the last 2 sets. NC State was dominant winning that last set 25-15. I imagine the Louisville fans are still sitting in front of their TVs completely gobsmacked by that beating. Wow. NC State hasn't even received votes in the NCAA rankings even though they were 12-2 entering this match. They will now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chrisran24
What a match....I just watched the last 2 sets. NC State was dominant winning that last set 25-15. I imagine the Louisville fans are still sitting in front of their TVs completely gobsmacked by that beating. Wow. NC State hasn't even received votes in the NCAA rankings even though they were 12-2 entering this match. They will now.
NC State hadn’t had any good wins before this one, totally agree they should not only get votes but slide into the top 25 after this. Their girls don’t crush the ball but their ability to hit deep and find holes was super impressive. That had a really solid block and good defensive coverage off their 6-2 too. Outblocked and outdug Louisville.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vantheman1976
This freshman class was ranked between #4 and #8 nationally by most “experts.” I don’t believe there are any freshman classes in the country as good as this one.
Apparently Nebraska is staring multiple freshman and they’ve lost three sets all year. So maybe them. But either way, our class is amazing.
 
Apparently Nebraska is staring multiple freshman and they’ve lost three sets all year. So maybe them. But either way, our class is amazing.


The Athletic had a story about them earlier this week. They are starting FOUR freshmen. Those four were the overall number 1, 4, 6 and 8 in last year's recruiting rankings. They are so good that they also brought in the overall 17th ranked player, and she is redshirting.

The one who is their setter was the first high school player called into the US National team, the senior team, not an age group team, in more than 20 years. The one who is their middle blocker was, at the time the story was written, second in the country in hitting percentage, and was the only freshman in the top 25.

Our freshmen are good. Their freshmen, so far, have been at a completely different level.
 
Pitt just got big help today - Louisville just lost in 4 sets at NC State. That was the most I’ve watched Ville this year and TBH wasn’t that impressed. The team isn’t that different from last year but they just looked off. Defense not as impressive as i expected. Also NC State has a really solid lefty hitting off the right side, they’re a good team at 13-2 this year. Should get in the rankings on Monday
That was the worst game I've ever seen Louisville play. So many service and hitting errors. I think Anna Debeer went the entire second set without a kill. I've noticed that their hitting percentage has tanked at times this season. They managed a goose egg in a set against Stanford. If you watch closely, they almost never set the right side out of system. Not that they're using the right side much at all. I think teams are picking up on that predictability.
 
Apparently we have to keep ranking Ohio State and Kentucky even though Ohio State got swept (but it was a good loss?) and Kentucky had two pretty sketchy wins.
Absurd those teams are ranked ahead of NC State. Better for Pitt if Kentucky stays ranked I suppose but how can a 5-7 team with no big wins deserve to be ranked
 
Absurd those teams are ranked ahead of NC State. Better for Pitt if Kentucky stays ranked I suppose but how can a 5-7 team with no big wins deserve to be ranked
Kentucky gave up three sets in total to Georgia and Bama. Neither has a win in the conference. I get they played a tough schedule but they're looking pretty soft. I just don't understand how those two schools keep getting beat or keep struggling with lesser teams and stay ranked.
 
Kentucky gave up three sets in total to Georgia and Bama. Neither has a win in the conference. I get they played a tough schedule but they're looking pretty soft. I just don't understand how those two schools keep getting beat or keep struggling with lesser teams and stay ranked.
The RPI ratings were finally published this week. Kentucky is 44th. They should not be ranked in the top 25. Notice that we are 14th. The Oregon loss did not hurt us. When we beat Kentucky twice it was a big deal....not anymore. Also....BYU was flying high until last week when Texas clobbered them twice in 2 matches. So....the BYU loss now looks worse for us. We may have to sweep Georgia Tech and Louisville to raise our RPI into the top ten. Our tournament seeding will take a hit if our RPI falls much further. The game Friday against Georgia Tech is huge....and you can bet Fisher knows that.

 
The RPI ratings were finally published this week. Kentucky is 44th. They should not be ranked in the top 25. Notice that we are 14th. The Oregon loss did not hurt us. When we beat Kentucky twice it was a big deal....not anymore. Also....BYU was flying high until last week when Texas clobbered them twice in 2 matches. So....the BYU loss now looks worse for us. We may have to sweep Georgia Tech and Louisville to raise our RPI into the top ten. Our tournament seeding will take a hit if our RPI falls much further. The game Friday against Georgia Tech is huge....and you can bet Fisher knows that.

RPI is okay but it puts a lot of emphasis on teams you don't play. Half the score is based on the winning percentage of teams your opponent played. So yeah, Kentucky hurts your RPI but probably not as much as Syracuse. Then you look and see that JMU is 12th in the RPI but Pitt absolutely throttled them. Are they really hanging with anyone in the top 15? I think it's one of those things that needs a bigger data set to feel better about.
 
RPI is okay but it puts a lot of emphasis on teams you don't play. Half the score is based on the winning percentage of teams your opponent played. So yeah, Kentucky hurts your RPI but probably not as much as Syracuse. Then you look and see that JMU is 12th in the RPI but Pitt absolutely throttled them. Are they really hanging with anyone in the top 15? I think it's one of those things that needs a bigger data set to feel better about.
Yep....the bigger data set is the 2nd half of the season. I'm just worried a couple more losses or worse will push us out of a 1 through 16 seed. I'll feel better when we beat Georgia Tech. By the way....the latest NCAA stats are out. Pitt is #4 in blocks/set....#2 in hitting %....and #1 in opposition hitting %.
 
Yep....the bigger data set is the 2nd half of the season. I'm just worried a couple more losses or worse will push us out of a 1 through 16 seed. I'll feel better when we beat Georgia Tech. By the way....the latest NCAA stats are out. Pitt is #4 in blocks/set....#2 in hitting %....and #1 in opposition hitting %.
Sounds like what Fisher wants. I think Pitt will be fine. Louisville suddenly looks like they have some holes in their offense. Just can't take their foot off the gas. Winning has been pretty easy for a couple of weeks. Won't stay that way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vantheman1976
The RPI ratings were finally published this week. Kentucky is 44th. They should not be ranked in the top 25. Notice that we are 14th. The Oregon loss did not hurt us. When we beat Kentucky twice it was a big deal....not anymore. Also....BYU was flying high until last week when Texas clobbered them twice in 2 matches. So....the BYU loss now looks worse for us. We may have to sweep Georgia Tech and Louisville to raise our RPI into the top ten. Our tournament seeding will take a hit if our RPI falls much further. The game Friday against Georgia Tech is huge....and you can bet Fisher knows that.

As long as Pitt splits or better with GT and Louisville and most importantly doesn’t lose a game we shouldn’t, we’ll have no issues getting a top 16 seed. The more important aspect imo is getting a top 12 seed and avoiding a home 1 seed in the round of 16, which we may still make when splitting with both but ideally would like to only lose one more. Really would need to win out to have a shot at hosting regionals which I’d say is unlikely, though if it’s a down year for Louisville and our freshmen keep improving then who knows
 
As long as Pitt splits or better with GT and Louisville and most importantly doesn’t lose a game we shouldn’t, we’ll have no issues getting a top 16 seed. The more important aspect imo is getting a top 12 seed and avoiding a home 1 seed in the round of 16, which we may still make when splitting with both but ideally would like to only lose one more. Really would need to win out to have a shot at hosting regionals which I’d say is unlikely, though if it’s a down year for Louisville and our freshmen keep improving then who knows
The most difficult thing about this season is that there are more "trap" games in the ACC schedule, now, and it doesn't help that the ACC still isn't seen as a reputable conference. It's almost like the coaches don't want to look beyond the top three in the conference when other schools have made some impressive strides.

I think Pitt will steadily improve as the season wears on. Tonight is a big deal because you really want to put your two biggest threats a game behind you and keep you in control of your own destiny.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT