Pitt’s recent trip to the Sunshine State was clouded by its loss to Miami, but the weekend painted two contrasting pictures for the Panthers’ volleyball program.
In a hostile Coral Gables environment on Friday night, the No. 4-ranked Panthers let victory slip through their fingers against No. 18-ranked Miami, squandering a commanding two-set advantage as the Hurricanes stormed back to claim the match.
After controlling the opening frames 26-24 and 25-14, Pitt collapsed down the stretch, dropping the final three sets to Miami and falling 15-13 in the decisive fifth to suffer its first ACC defeat of the season. Despite Olivia Babcock delivering a season-high 30 kills in an incredible individual performance, it wasn’t enough as the Hurricanes secured their highest-ranked home victory in program history.
But championship teams aren’t defined by their losses — they are defined by how they respond.
On Sunday afternoon, the Panthers were an entirely different team than they were on Friday night. Pitt swept Florida State — 25-14, 25-19, 25-21 — with the clinical efficiency it’s been known for. This victory served as a reminder to everyone that one loss — even a painful reverse sweep — doesn’t diminish what this team is capable of achieving when the NCAA Tournament begins in December.
The question isn’t whether Pitt can recover from this setback. It’s whether this might finally be the year they break through.
Final Four ceiling
For four consecutive seasons, Pitt volleyball has reached the Final Four. Four times, they’ve come home without a National Championship trophy. The pattern has become painfully familiar — dominant regular seasons with huge wins over top-ranked opponents, just to suffer heartbreak on the biggest stage. Last December’s loss to Louisville marked the fourth straight season-ending defeat in the national semifinals.
The 2024 season’s 33-2 record was supposed to be the year head coach Dan Fisher’s squad finally lifted the National Championship trophy. The Panthers won the ACC title, earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament and had the presence of the National Player of the Year — then-sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock. Yet once again, Pitt found itself suffering an early exit.
Many fans have raised the question — is 2025 the year? The answer might surprise those who assume that losing key players to graduation and the transfer portal has weakened the Panthers.
Reloading, not rebuilding
When you return six players from a Final Four team, including the AVCA National Player of the Year, you’re not rebuilding — you’re evolving.
The 2024 roster was undeniably talented, featuring arguably one of the best offenses in college volleyball at the time. The Panthers boasted a deep roster of weapons. Pitt lost setter Rachel Fairbanks, serve specialist Cat Flood, outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez and libero Emmy Klika to graduation and sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford to the transfer portal.
The 2025 roster has a significantly diversified offensive capability beyond Babcock’s continued dominance. Junior outside hitter Blaire Bayless has stepped up on the left side of the net, and first-year opposite hitter from the Netherlands Dagmar Mourits seems to improve with every week. This is combined with the continued efforts from middle blockers redshirt senior Bre Kelley and sophomore Ryla Jones. And the addition of Babcock’s new defensive efforts and first-year defensive specialist Izzy Masten’s diversified capabilities will certainly benefit the Panthers not just now, but in the years to come.
Records aren’t everything
At 13-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play, Pitt remains in a good position to snatch another conference title and a top seed in the national tournament. This weekend’s loss to Miami drops Pitt in ACC rankings, but in the grand scheme of the team’s postseason seeding, it’s practically a blip.
Pitt is currently tied for third place in the ACC along with Stanford (5-1 ACC, 14-3) and Miami (5-1 ACC, 15-2), and it only fell to No. 6 in the NCAA. What matters more than their record is how the Panthers handle adversity — and their recent sweep of the Seminoles suggests they’re handling it just fine.
The ACC remains one of the nation’s toughest conferences, with programs like Louisville and Miami proving that they can challenge anyone on any given night. For Pitt, every conference match is preparation for December, and facing that high level of competition week after week is exactly what it needs.
Underdog mentality
Another Final Four appearance would represent an extraordinary accomplishment and extend one of the most impressive runs in the history of not just the volleyball program, but Pitt athletics in general. But when you’ve practically stood at the doorstep of a national title four years running, the goal isn’t just to knock again — it’s to finally walk through.
The Miami loss might help in that regard. This reverse sweep reminded the Panthers that nobody is handing them anything, and that the margin between a statement win and an upset is thin.
So, yes, Pitt can win the national championship that’s eluded them this season. Not despite its loss to Miami, but perhaps because of what they’ll learn from it.
The Panthers have long maintained their underdog mentality, but it’s understandably difficult to keep up when you’ve only lost two games in the entire season, as they did last year. But now, as they leave Florida with a chip on their shoulder, perhaps the Panthers have a better appreciation for this mindset. And as head coach Dan Fisher said, “Everyone is an underdog until they win a national championship.”
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