No. 3 Pitt, No. 1 Louisville Rematch Set for Wednesday

PITTSBURGH – The Panthers' regular season climax is set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET at Fitzgerald Field House when No. 3 Pitt volleyball (26-2, 15-2 ACC) hosts unbeaten, No. 1 Louisville (26-0, 16-0 ACC).

For their regular season finale, the Panthers are seeking revenge for one of their two losses after the Cardinals edged Pitt earlier this season in Louisville (Oct. 24), 3-2.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Match 29 – No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 3 Pitt (Wednesday, 5 p.m. ET): Live Stats | ACC Network
Fans can follow @Pitt_VB on Twitter and Instagram for live updates during all matches.

STEADY IN THE RANKINGS

For the last four consecutive weeks, Pitt has been ranked in the Top 3 in both major volleyball rankings. The Panthers are currently No. 2 in the RPI, which is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule.

Pitt remained at No. 3 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Poll, announced Monday. This week marks Pitt's 23rd appearance (12th consecutive) all-time in the Top 5 in program history. The Panthers have appeared in 68 consecutive AVCA Top 25 polls, dating back to the 2018 Preseason Poll.

NO-LOSS NOVEMBER

The Panthers have won 33 consecutive matches when playing during the month of November, marking a streak dating back to a 3-0 loss at Fitzgerald Field House against Duke on Nov. 13, 2016.

PITT VS. NO. 1, ALL-TIME

The Panthers are seeking their first win against a top-ranked opponent, coming into Wednesday's match at 0-4 all-time.
The last time Pitt faced a No. 1 team was in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Penn State (Dec. 3, 2017), when the Panthers fell 3-1 to the Nittany Lions.
The last time the Panthers faced a No. 1 team during the regular season was Nov. 23, 2001, at Long Beach State, when Pitt fell, 3-0.
Wednesday marks the second time in program history that Pitt will host a No. 1 team in volleyball, with the only other meeting being Sept. 6, 1994, vs. No. 1 Stanford. Pitt fell, 3-0, in that match.
A win for Pitt Wednesday would mark the Panthers' highest-ranked victory in program history. In the 2020 NCAA Tournament, Pitt defeated No. 3 Minnesota to advance to the Regional Final, which stands as the Panthers' highest-ranked win of all-time (April 18, 2021). Pitt's current highest-ranked victory during the regular season came in 2019 at No. 4 Penn State when the Panthers swept the Nittany Lions at Rec Hall (Sept. 20, 2019).
The Panthers' highest-ranked win when playing at Fitzgerald Field House came against No. 5 Notre Dame (Nov. 6, 2005), 3-2.

PITT VOLLEYBALL RESULTS VS. NO. 1 TEAMS

Sept. 1, 1990 vs. #1 UCLA, L, 3-2 (Madison, Wis.)
Sept. 6, 1994 vs. #1 Stanford, L, 3-0 (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Nov. 23, 2001 at #1 Long Beach State, L, 3-0 (Long Beach, Calif.)
Dec. 3, 2017 (NCAA Second Round) at #1 Penn State, L, 3-1 (University Park, Pa.)

PITT VS. THE AVCA TOP 25

The Panthers are 5-2 against Top 25 opponents so far this season, defeating No. 23 Rice, No. 18 Washington State, No. 9 Baylor, No. 12 BYU and No. 13 Georgia Tech, with their only losses of the season coming at the hands of No. 18 Georgia Tech (Oct. 10) and No. 2 Louisville (Oct. 24).
Pitt holds a 9-5 (.643) record in its last 14 meetings against AVCA Top 25 opponents.
When both teams are ranked in the Top 25, the Panthers are 19-14 (.576) all-time in those meetings.
Pitt is 4-22 (.154) all-time when facing the Top 5, but the Panthers are 3-3 (.500) in their last five meetings against the Top 5.
The Panthers are 24-22 (.521) against American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 opponents under ninth-year head coach Dan Fisher (2013-present).

A LOOK AROUND THE ACC

The ACC has three teams in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, including No. 1 Louisville, No. 3 Pitt and No. 14 Georgia Tech. Miami and Florida State are just outside the Top 25, both receiving votes in the poll.
Pitt holds a 232-93 (.714) all-time record against the current ACC membership, and are 134-35 (.792) against ACC opponents under ninth-year head coach Dan Fisher.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt earned two key wins on the road last week at No. 13 Georgia Tech (Nov. 19) and Clemson (Nov. 21), respectively.
First, Pitt avenged one of its two losses with a 3-1 road victory at No. 13 Georgia Tech Friday night at O'Keefe Gymnasium. Georgia Tech (then ranked No. 18) handed Pitt its first loss of the season, 3-2, at Fitzgerald Field House on Oct. 10. After dropping the first set (25-17), the Panthers went on to win the next three (25-22, 25-23, 25-21). The Yellow Jackets had statistical advantages in kills (58-55), assists (57-51), service aces (4-3), digs (61-56), blocks (10.0-8.0) and hitting percentage (.259-.255). Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh hit .325 for the match with a double-double of 16 kills and 12 digs. Fellow pin hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez stepped up with 14 kills on .306 hitting ad added seven digs. Right side Chinaza Ndee produced 10 kills and three blocks for the Panthers.
Next, Member-Meneh and Ndee combined for 20 kills and zero errors to lead Pitt to a sweep at Clemson Sunday afternoon at Jervey Gym. The Panthers cruised to the sweep by scores of 25-18, 25-19, 25-12. Pitt had advantages in kills (42-31), assists (37-30), service aces (8-1), digs (36-32) and blocks (5.0-4.0). Fittingly, Pitt hit .412 for the match while holding Clemson to .180.

MEMBER-MENEH NAMED ACC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Senior outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Co-Player of the Week, as announced Tuesday. The honors are her first of her career. She is the third Panther to receive the accolades this season, following classmates Kayla Lund (Sept. 7) and Chinaza Ndee (Sept. 14).
The St. Louis, Mo., native earned the recognition following impressive performances on the road against No. 13 Georgia Tech (Nov. 19) and Clemson (Nov. 21). She led the Panthers with 4.14 points, 3.71 kills and 3.29 digs per set on .400 hitting for the weekend. The six-rotation player recorded double-doubles against both of Pitt's opponents, bringing her season total to a team-best eight.

RECORD WATCH

A quartet of Panthers are rising in the Pitt volleyball career record rankings, following Pitt's most recent match at Clemson (Nov. 21).
Two-time ACC Volleyball Player of the Year Kayla Lund has settled into the program's Top 5 for career kills (1,635, fourth), attacks (3,912, fifth) and service aces (149, fourth). Lund also ranks in the program's Top 10 for digs (ninth, 1,252).
All-American right side Chinaza Ndee ranks second in program history with 453 block assists. She needs 57 more to take sole possession of first place in the record book. Ndee ranks third all-time with 474 total blocks for her career.
Senior middle blocker Sabrina Starks is seventh all-time for Pitt in career block assists (339) and total blocks (380).
Junior setter Lexis Akeo has broken into the program's all-time top 10 with 2,198 career assists. She notched the 2,000th assist of her career during the Panther's win at Florida State (Oct. 17).

SCOUTING NO. 1 LOUISVILLE

No. 1 Louisville (26-0, 16-0 ACC) is the last remaining unbeaten team in NCAA Division I Volleyball, riding its best start to a season into Pittsburgh Wednesday. The No. 1 ranking is a school record for the Cardinals. Louisville received its first-ever first place votes in the AVCA Poll on Oct. 25.
The Cardinals have swept their last three opponents, including No. 14 Georgia Tech (Nov. 12), Notre Dame (Nov. 15) and Duke (Nov. 19).
Louisville owns six Top 25 wins this season, against No. 6 Purdue (Sept. 10), No. 8 Kentucky (Sept. 15), No. 6 Nebraska (Sept. 18), No. 18 Georgia Tech (Oct. 3), No. 4 Pitt (Oct. 24) and No. 14 Georgia Tech (Nov. 12).
The Cards lead the ACC in service aces per set (1.76), blocks per set (2.97), hitting percentage (.303) and opponent hitting percentage (.138).
ACC Co-Player of the Week Anna Stevenson leads the ACC with a .444 hitting percentage from the middle.
Pitt is looking to avenge an Oct. 24 five-set loss in Louisville, when the Panthers and Cardinals were ranked No. 4 and No. 2, respectively. The Panthers fell just short to the Cards by scores of 25-19, 20-25, 25-27, 25-22, 13-15. Senior outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh recorded a double-double with a match-high 18 kills on .389 hitting to go along with 12 digs. She added four blocks – two solo – and the team's only two service aces of the day.
The Cards hold a 16-13 edge in the all-time series with Pitt, but the Panthers have the advantage when playing in Pittsburgh, at 9-6 all-time. Louisville has a current two-match win streak in the series, winning in October in Louisville in addition to the teams' last meeting in Pittsburgh: Oct. 25, 2020 (3-1).

UP NEXT

The Panthers will await their fate in the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Championship when seeding is announced during the Selection Show, set for 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPNU.

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No. 3 Pitt, No. 1 Louisville Rematch Set for Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lexis Akeo

Kayla Lund

Leketor Member-Meneh

Chinaza Ndee

Sabrina Starks

Valeria Vazquez Gomez

No. 3 Pitt, No. 1 Louisville Rematch Set for Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lexis Akeo

Kayla Lund

Leketor Member-Meneh

Chinaza Ndee

Sabrina Starks

Valeria Vazquez Gomez

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