Pitt Athletics is preparing for a weekend getaway

This weekend, Pitt Volleyball heads north looking to remain undefeated in the swimming and cross country races and have a successful weekend in their competition.

volleyball

The No. 1 Pitt volleyball team looks to maintain its streak of unbeaten sets and matches this weekend as the Panthers travel to New England and New York for a pair of ACC games. Pitt travels to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to play Boston College on Friday at 7 p.m. and then to Syracuse, New York to face the Orange on Sunday at 11 a.m

Boston College is one of the best blocking teams in the country. The Eagles Rank Third in the country for blocks per set with 3.12 and are the best blocking team in the ACC. Pitt has already faced an exceptional blocking team this season opened the 2024 season against No. 10 Oregonwho ranks second in the nation for blocks per set with 3.14. You don't have to be an expert to understand that the Panthers have faced threats to their success before – and still emerged victorious.

The Eagles are 7-7 overall and 0-2 in the ACC, but they are a perfect 3-0 at home. However, Pitt would end this streak by defeating Boston College with a sweep.

In 2023, Syracuse was one of, if not the worst, team in Division One volleyball. The Orange finished the season 2-26 overall and 0-18 in the ACC. Syracuse won only four of the 58 sets they played against conference opponents.

But this year, Syracuse already has 10 more wins than it did in 2023. The Orange had an undefeated – relatively easy – non-conference schedule, but they still won games they most likely would have lost last year.

Syracuse lost its first two conference matches against North Carolina and Duke last week, but the Orange should be more confident of winning more conference matches in 2024.

But the splashy conference win most likely won't happen for Syracuse this weekend, as it will likely fall to 0-4 in the ACC. It faces No. 17 SMU on Friday night and No. 1 Pitt on Sunday.

Boston College and Syracuse are easier tests for Pitt volleyball than other recent games. Fans can expect the program to win 42 sets in a row and the overall record to remain unblemished at 14-0.

Cross country

On October 5th Pitt travels cross country to Bethlehem, PA to compete in the 50th Lehigh Paul Short Run at the Goodman Campus Course.

The team comes from one strong performance at the Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State where the women's team placed fifth while the men's team placed fifth Two runners finish in the top 20. The women of the Panthers in mid-September 4th place for the Mid-Atlantic region the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Paul Short Run 2024 offers the largest fields in the history of the meeting. High school teams will compete on Friday, while college teams from across the United States and Canada will compete on Saturday.

A whopping thing 164 women's teams and 150 men's teams will compete as both Pitt's men's and women's teams compete in the gold portions of their races – the group to which they are assigned.

The men will run at 11 a.m. and The women will run at 11:45 a.m. This event is the final meet before Pitt travels to Madison, Wisconsin for the Pre-Nationals later this month.

Bathe

On October 5, the Panthers have their first all-swim meet of the 2024-2025 season are just down the street at Carnegie Mellon. The CMU relay meeting will host Pitt, Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon and is expected to set the tone for the season.

Pitt head coach Chase Kreitler returns for his third season and welcomes back several athletes who achieved national recognition under his leadership during the 2023-2024 season. Three of Kreitler's swimmers competed in the 2024 US Olympic Trials this summer.

Last season, the Panthers had solid performances at the 2024 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Fifth year swimmer Sophie Yendell placed 20th in the 50 free and 17th in the 100 fly. This summer, Yendell competed in the Olympic Games qualifying tournament in Great Britain.

On the other hand, sophomore Stepan Goncharov placed 26th in the 100 at the 2024 NCAA Men's Championships with a time of 45.73.

Pitt swimming fans can expect a productive season in Kreitler's third season and a successful meet next weekend.