Pitt Volleyball Playing in AVCA First Serve

The matches will take place at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska normally plays volleyball at Bob Devaney Sports Center, which holds a capacity of 8,309 fans. Pinnacle Bank Arena holds a capacity of 15,290 fans for volleyball, almost twice as much.

There are also four other teams that will play each other during the AVCA First Serve, with reigning National Champions Penn State facing off against Creighton and Kansas battling Vanderbilt, who start their inaugural season, both on Saturday, Aug. 23.

Creighton will then face Kansas and Penn State will take on Vanderbilt on Monday, Aug. 25 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Former Nebraska head coach John Cook broke the news of the matchup against Pitt on Jan. 21, but this officially confirms the matchup between two of the best teams in the nation.

Pitt is winless against Nebraska, losing all 15 matches against them in the all-time series, including five times in the NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers lost twice to the Cornhuskers in the Final Four the past four seasons, losing in four sets in 2021 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio and suffering a loss in a sweep in 2023 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

This matchup will serve as the first regular season matchup between the two teams since Aug. 29, 2015, when Nebraska won in four sets at the Bob Devaney Center. Nebraska would go on to win the National Title that season, finishing 32-4.

The Cornhuskers had another great season in 2024, where they finished 33-3 overall, 19-1 in the Big Ten, earning a share of the conference title, and made the Final Four, where they suffered a reverse sweep vs. Penn State.

Cook retired on Jan. 29 after 25 seasons at the helm and Louisville head coach Dani Busboom Kelly took over as Nebraska head coach. Busboom Kelly played at Nebraska and comes back after spending eight seasons at Louisville, bringing them to three Final Fours and runners-up finishes in 2022 and 2024.

The Cornhuskers return AVCA All-American in First Team junior middle blocker Andi Jackson, two-time Second Team/Big Ten Setter of the Year in junior Bergen Reilly and Second Team junior outside hitter Harper Murray.

Florida finished 23-8 overall and 11-5 in the SEC, making the Sweet 16, where they lost in five sets to Stanford.

Like Nebraska, Florida also had a major coaching change, as Mary Wise steppd down after 34 season in charge of the program. Ryan Theis landed the new job, after leading Marquette for 11 seasons and three Sweet 16 appearances, including 2024.

Pitt faced Marquette the past two seasons, winning in sweeps in both matches, in Milwaukee in 2023 and Pittsburgh in 2024.

Florida brings back one of the best players in the country in junior outside hitter/right side Kennedy Martin, a First Team All-American, who led the nation with 6.28 points per set and ranked second with 5.57 kills per set.

They also return All-SEC Second Team sophomore middle blocker Jaela Auguste and added in the transfer portal in senior outside hitter Flormarie Heredia Colon, a Third Team All-American from Miami, plus redshirt sophomore outside hitters in Jordyn Byrd from Texas and Aniya Madkin from Arkansas.

Pitt will return AVCA National Player of the Year in junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock, Second Team All-American in redshirt senior middle blocker Bre Kelley and All-ACC Freshman Team honoree in sophomore middle blocker Ryla Jones.

The Panthers finished 33-2 overall and 19-1 in the ACC, their third straight season winning the conference title and sixth time in eight seasons doing so. They also made the Final Four for the fourth straight year, but lost in four sets to rival Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Pitt head coach Dan Fisher, who won AVCA National Coach of the Year, just signed a three-year extension that will keep him through to the 2030 season. He just completed his 12th season in charge of the program and holds a 320-69 record (.823) since taking over the program in 2013, giving him the most wins for a Pitt head coach.