VB: Where Do We Go From Here?

[dsp7260]

I think this program needs to address 2 main issues this offseason.

1) They need to find Rachel’s replacement. Is it Haiti coming off an injury or do you go to the portal for more of a “sure thing”?

2) Libero. I mentioned this in the game thread - Klika was a very good libero, but the championship teams seem to have elite liberos. Scott digs everything for Louisville. It’s both impressive and infuriating. I feel like Pitt has been above average, but not at the level they need to win a championship at that position. Meyer was pretty impressive in the tournament and they’ll presumably also have Griffin coming back, but idk how I feel about their defensive abilities as the starter.

I’ll throw in a third too - another serving specialist. Rachel, VVG and Flood are all gone and they were Pitt’s best/most consistent servers. Obviously when Babcock’s on it’s special, but they need more servers who can put pressure on opponents.

Anything else? Are the answers already on the roster? I know “get the best setter, libero, and servers” isn’t a unique thought since every team would like to add that, but Pitt has proven they’re an elite program and they should be able to reel in some big fish (no pun intended).

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I think this program needs to address 2 main issues this offseason.

1) They need to find Rachel’s replacement. Is it Haiti coming off an injury or do you go to the portal for more of a “sure thing”?

2) Libero. I mentioned this in the game thread - Klika was a very good libero, but the championship teams seem to have elite liberos. Scott digs everything for Louisville. It’s both impressive and infuriating. I feel like Pitt has been above average, but not at the level they need to win a championship at that position. Meyer was pretty impressive in the tournament and they’ll presumably also have Griffin coming back, but idk how I feel about their defensive abilities as the starter.

I’ll throw in a third too - another serving specialist. Rachel, VVG and Flood are all gone and they were Pitt’s best/most consistent servers. Obviously when Babcock’s on it’s special, but they need more servers who can put pressure on opponents.

Anything else? Are the answers already on the roster? I know “get the best setter, libero, and servers” isn’t a unique thought since every team would like to add that, but Pitt has proven they’re an elite program and they should be able to reel in some big fish (no pun intended).

Does Dillyn have a future here? As a specialist I see her come in, serve once, and see Pitt lose the point without her seeing the ball again during the point. Then she’s back on the bench with her arms crossed. I have no idea how good she can be. Or does she go play out west closer to home.

 

[dsp7260]

Does Dillyn have a future here? As a specialist I see her come in, serve once, and see Pitt lose the point without her seeing the ball again during the point. Then she’s back on the bench with her arms crossed. I have no idea how good she can be. Or does she go play out west closer to home.

I have the same thoughts as you. She’s occasionally had service runs, but it seems like they’re few and far between. I also don’t remember any digs from her. To your point, it’s serve then right to the bench. Maybe she’s fine defensively, and the coaches obviously know the answer, but as someone who’s only been following volleyball a few years, I wouldn’t be confident having her as a starter if the goal is a championship (which it is/will be as long as Stafford and Babcock are here).

 

[whirlybird optio]

I think this program needs to address 2 main issues this offseason.

1) They need to find Rachel’s replacement. Is it Haiti coming off an injury or do you go to the portal for more of a “sure thing”?

2) Libero. I mentioned this in the game thread - Klika was a very good libero, but the championship teams seem to have elite liberos. Scott digs everything for Louisville. It’s both impressive and infuriating. I feel like Pitt has been above average, but not at the level they need to win a championship at that position. Meyer was pretty impressive in the tournament and they’ll presumably also have Griffin coming back, but idk how I feel about their defensive abilities as the starter.

I’ll throw in a third too - another serving specialist. Rachel, VVG and Flood are all gone and they were Pitt’s best/most consistent servers. Obviously when Babcock’s on it’s special, but they need more servers who can put pressure on opponents.

Anything else? Are the answers already on the roster? I know “get the best setter, libero, and servers” isn’t a unique thought since every team would like to add that, but Pitt has proven they’re an elite program and they should be able to reel in some big fish (no pun intended).

I’m not entirely sure they go for a setter considering Haiti and the incoming freshman. Libero has to be a priority, although Meyer might be able to play there.

With Babcock and Stafford and Bre you are already a top 25 team, but this is gonna be a serious rebuild losing 3 of your 6 starters.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I have the same thoughts as you. She’s occasionally had service runs, but it seems like they’re few and far between. I also don’t remember any digs from her. To your point, it’s serve then right to the bench. Maybe she’s fine defensively, and the coaches obviously know the answer, but as someone who’s only been following volleyball a few years, I wouldn’t be confident having her as a starter if the goal is a championship (which it is/will be as long as Stafford and Babcock are here).

And to be clear, I’m not pushing her out the door. She’s a pretty girl and would be easy to root for. It’s just tough to know what she has to offer.

 

[dsp7260]

I’m not entirely sure they go for a setter considering Haiti and the incoming freshman. Libero has to be a priority, although Meyer might be able to play there.

With Babcock and Stafford and Bre you are already a top 25 team, but this is gonna be a serious rebuild losing 3 of your 6 starters.

I didn’t think they were bringing in a setter in the 2025 class, are they? I thought it was just an outside and a middle.

2026 they have the local who’s supposed to be very good, so I’d think they’d be looking for a one year player. If nothing else, I’d just like to have some experience since Haiti doesn’t have a ton to begin with and who knows how she’ll be after the injury.

 

[dsp7260]

And to be clear, I’m not pushing her out the door. She’s a pretty girl and would be easy to root for. It’s just tough to know what she has to offer.

For sure. I assume anyone Pitt recruits is talented and that’s why I mentioned in my original post that the answers might be on the roster, but I’m like you and honestly just don’t know since we haven’t seen a lot of the depth pieces outside of blowouts against bad competition. Definitely not suggesting anyone should be discounted or forced out though.

 

[PittMBA]

I’m not entirely sure they go for a setter considering Haiti and the incoming freshman. Libero has to be a priority, although Meyer might be able to play there.

With Babcock and Stafford and Bre you are already a top 25 team, but this is gonna be a serious rebuild losing 3 of your 6 starters.

My guess is they are no worse than pre season top 10 , maybe top 5.

 

[dsp7260]

My guess is they are no worse than pre season top 10 , maybe top 5.

I think preseason top 6/7 at worst. Rachel is the only player Pitt’s losing that feels irreplaceable. And that’s not to discount how good the others are, but she was able to set out of system better than anyone I’ve seen. And not many teams in the country will have first team all American pins and a second team all American middle coming back.

 

[pittdan77]

My guess is they are no worse than pre season top 10 , maybe top 5.

Lots of teams are losing key players to graduation. If Pitt holds on to Babcock and Stafford, they’ll be fine.

 

[Chairman Moe]

Lots of teams are losing key players to graduation. If Pitt holds on to Babcock and Stafford, they’ll be fine.

Any chance that Babcock and/or Stafford might transfer? Portal? That would suck

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I’m not entirely sure they go for a setter considering Haiti and the incoming freshman. Libero has to be a priority, although Meyer might be able to play there.

With Babcock and Stafford and Bre you are already a top 25 team, but this is gonna be a serious rebuild losing 3 of your 6 starters.

Rebuild? Malarkey! Lol. This is a reload. I can’t imagine not being a top 10 team again.

With the caveat that expecting another #1 overall seed again is a bit much to ask. But…

We return perhaps the national player of the year along with a semifinalist, Bre and Jones (who hopefully has an arrow pointing up)…and will have a class setter pinging the ball all over the floor to our hitters. If Dan thinks it’s Haiti then I feel good about it. If it’s not her, he will go out and get a really good one. It’s just hard to imagine another Rachel.

Losing Rachel is huge. But I still expect this team to compete for a #1 seed and to be somewhere in the mix like a Texas or Wisconsin were this year.

 

[121rum]

Fish's downfall every year seems to be back row defense, need to get that up to par with the other top overall teams in order to get over the hump. Our offense will be just as lethal next year.

 

[FreeportPanther]

I think preseason top 6/7 at worst. Rachel is the only player Pitt’s losing that feels irreplaceable. And that’s not to discount how good the others are, but she was able to set out of system better than anyone I’ve seen. And not many teams in the country will have first team all American pins and a second team all American middle coming back.

Exactly, this will be a reload rather than a rebuild.
They have great players on the bench, plus Fisher is a great recruiter.
They'll get excellent players from the portal. Player want to come here.
This program is rock solid as long as Fisher is here.

 

[phijo]

I think the biggest question mark is libero. If they get a transfer, I suspect that is where it will come from. Remember, Louisville had a new setter to start the season and improved throughout the year. I believe Haiti will be this setter. Replacing VVG will be either Blaire, or the incoming freshman OH or a transfer.

 

[latz66]

I would like them to find a tough as nails defender or serve/receive specialist that can sub and pass like their life depended on it. Rachel was great at setting balls from all over the court but after watching Lville last night, I swear their passes were hitting the perfect spot time after time giving their setter multiple options and a lot easier work load all night.

I have confidence that this team isnt falling off by much if at all. As long as Fish is here I think we are a blue blood and can hang around the top 5 year in and year out. All these teams are losing people not just us. Also, we should be able to be in the running for every single player in the portal this off season. This isnt football where we have to hope for Go5 players or SEC rejects. We can be the hunter here.

 

[PittMBA]

I would like them to find a tough as nails defender or serve/receive specialist that can sub and pass like their life depended on it. Rachel was great at setting balls from all over the court but after watching Lville last night, I swear their passes were hitting the perfect spot time after time giving their setter multiple options and a lot easier work load all night.

I have confidence that this team isnt falling off by much if at all. As long as Fish is here I think we are a blue blood and can hang around the top 5 year in and year out. All these teams are losing people not just us. Also, we should be able to be in the running for every single player in the portal this off season. This isnt football where we have to hope for Go5 players or SEC rejects. We can be the hunter here.

Fisher and the coaches need to do everything they can to put a machine around Babcock.

We are essentially returning the Heisman Trophy winner , and 1st and 2nd team all Americans ( Torrey and Bre ) No reason not to be excellent again.

The incoming freshman are essentially a 5 star OH and a 4 star MB/OH.

I agree - we need an elite libero and a setter to compliment Ha’ti. The offense will be lethal again - need to be incrementally better in back row defense imo .

2026 should be really interesting- Torrey , Olivia as seniors , Ryla a junior , plus arguably the best class Fisher has ever landed .

 

[pittdan77]

Any chance that Babcock and/or Stafford might transfer? Portal? That would suck

I would never say never but I am not aware of any indication either is leaving. Portal closes again, soon, but they could declare and go shopping.

 

[121rum]

Fisher and the coaches need to do everything they can to put a machine around Babcock.

We are essentially returning the Heisman Trophy winner , and 1st and 2nd team all Americans ( Torrey and Bre ) No reason not to be excellent again.

The incoming freshman are essentially a 5 star OH and a 4 star MB/OH.

I agree - we need an elite libero and a setter to compliment Ha’ti. The offense will be lethal again - need to be incrementally better in back row defense imo .

2026 should be really interesting- Torrey , Olivia as seniors , Ryla a junior , plus arguably the best class Fisher has ever landed .

Whats the scoop on the other setter who was hurt this year, Dinn I believe?

 

[mike412]

It would be nice the think we could strike gold twice and have the two incoming pins be as good as Babcock and Stafford were as true frosh, but it’s not realistic. And, let’s not forget that they had Rachel serving to them and setting them up with perfect sets.

I think a libero and a setter are the top portal needs. But, I think we need an outside hitter as insurance.

My iunderstanding is that one of the factors in Bre choosing Pitt was that she had played for Fisher and with Babcock and (I think) Rachel on one iteration of a junior national team. I wonder if there is anyone in this year’s portal that played on that team.

As to having our pick from the portal, remember that Louisville and PSU both graduate six seniors after this season so both will be major competition there. So will Texas.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Ok but is it though? Let me explain…

When I dabbled in the sport in my younger days, you played to 15 and a libero wasn’t a thing and if I heard the word I probably would have thought it was a word to describe my political leanings at the time. So I’ve only become a follower of the sport again over the past 8 years.

But maybe it’s not the back row defense? Maybe it’s our system? And maybe when we play an elite opponent their back row defense looks better than ours comparatively speaking because they have more coverage in the back row? And I don’t know what you can do when a team is playing defense so well. In my novice mind that’s what I wonder about. And then my novice mind thinks about stealing and getting easy points, and it always seems like the service game fails is. Other teams rise to the occasion with timely and frequent serves that are either aces or get us out of system…and then our answer is to bring in a specialist ourselves who doesn’t appear to provide anything more that what any other player on the floor can bring when serving.

And then this brings me to a point that I have that I’ll make in a new thread regarding Joe Starkey.

Fish's downfall every year seems to be back row defense, need to get that up to par with the other top overall teams in order to get over the hump. Our offense will be just as lethal next year.

 

[pittchagg]

Also keep in mind that we’ve got the #1 setter in the country committed for 2026, which kind of makes 2025 a bridge year at that spot until Hoppe comes in, because I think you’ve gotta view her as a likely starter as a freshman - she basically grew up in this program and will be as ready as it gets.

I think you go out and try to find a one year stud from somewhere.

 

[PittMBA]

Also keep in mind that we’ve got the #1 setter in the country committed for 2026, which kind of makes 2025 a bridge year at that spot until Hoppe comes in, because I think you’ve gotta view her as a likely starter as a freshman - she basically grew up in this program and will be as ready as it gets.

I think you go out and try to find a one year stud from somewhere.

Kinda said it above - but can’t take for granted having Olivia for 2 more years. Have to do whatever it takes to put a great team around her next season.

2026 becomes really interesting with the 2026 class coming in - will have so much talent .