Wednesday, October 9
Pittsburgh, PA
6pm CT
SMU
at
Pittsburgh
No. 15 Mustangs Ready For First Battle With No. 1 Pittsburgh
Oct 8 | Volleyball
#15 SMU (12-3, 4-0 ACC) vs. #1 Pittsburgh (14-0, 4-0 ACC)
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – 6 p.m. CT
Fitzgerald Field House – Pittsburgh, PA
ACCNX |Â Live Stats
Get the ACC Network | ACC Network FAQs
SMU Notes | Pittsburgh Notes
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SETTING THE SCENE
• No. 15 SMU Volleyball concludes their seven-game stretch away from home with a showdown against No. 1 Pittsburgh Wednesday night on ACC Network.
• The Mustangs have started off the conference season 4-0 with wins over No. 13 Georgia Tech, Clemson, Syracuse and Boston College
• SMU is on a seven-game winning streak, the last six on the road.
• The Mustangs are tied with four other programs for first place in the ACC after two weeks of conference action.
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PONIES ON THE RISE
• SMU moved up two spots in this week's AVCA Poll to No. 15 after being ranked No. 17 last week.
• SMU jumped six spots to No. 17 in last week's rankings with two sweeps to start ACC play.
• For the first time in program history, SMU Volleyball was ranked by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), coming in at No. 22 on the Sept. 16th edition of the poll.
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ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• SMU graduate opposite hitter Naya Shime was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week for her performances against Syracuse and Boston College.
• Shime made a significant impact for the Mustangs defensively with a team-high seven blocks as an opposite, averaging .88 blocks per set.
• She also logged 1.75 digs per set against Boston College and Syracuse this week.
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NCAA RPI
• The NCAA released its first RPI rankings of the 2024 season on Monday, and the Mustangs are ranked No. 11.
• It's the program's highest RPI ranking, beating the previous high of No. 24 in last season's final RPI ranking.
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ROAD WARRIORS
• SMU has been outstanding in road matches this season, posting a 7-1 record, tied for the most road wins in the country with their next opponent, Pittsburgh.
• A win against Pitt would give SMU the most road wins in the country.
• SMU has won their last seven road matches after starting the season with a road loss to Hawaii in five sets.
• The Mustangs have knocked off two ranked teams in those road games, including then No. 18 Baylor and No. 13 Georgia Tech.
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EXPERIENCED GROUP
• SMU has won one of the country's oldest, most experienced rosters this season.
• The Mustangs have seven graduate students, two seniors, two juniors, and just three freshmen.
• The only other school with nine graduate students/seniors is the College of Charleston, which has four seniors and five graduates.
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A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
• No. 1 Pittsburgh brings a perfect 14-0 record into the match on Wednesday.
• Prior to their 3-1 win over Boston College, the Panthers had won 36 straight sets.
• Last season, Pitt reached the final four after a 29-5 record and a 16-2 mark in the ACC.
• Pitt has been to two straight final fours and has been picked to win the ACC this season.
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ALL-TIME SERIES
• Wednesday's matchup will be the first meeting between the two programs.
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BY THE NUMBERS
• After the conclusion of last week's play, the Mustangs are ranked in the top-40 in four different categories.
• SMU ranks 12th in the country in hitting percentage (.293) and 17th in opponent hitting percentage (.148). The Mustangs are also 21st in aces per set (1.93) and 28th in blocks per set.
• Individually, Natalie Foster has been a weapon at the service line, ranking 9th in the country and first in the ACC in aces with 35 this season. Her 0.65 aces per set is good for 8th best in the nation and sits second among conference players.
• Celia Cullen currently ranks first in the conference in total assists with 539 and third in assists per set this season at 9.98, which is top-50 in the country.
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Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – 6 p.m. CT
Fitzgerald Field House – Pittsburgh, PA
ACCNX |Â Live Stats
Get the ACC Network | ACC Network FAQs
SMU Notes | Pittsburgh Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
SMU Mobile App
Â
SETTING THE SCENE
• No. 15 SMU Volleyball concludes their seven-game stretch away from home with a showdown against No. 1 Pittsburgh Wednesday night on ACC Network.
• The Mustangs have started off the conference season 4-0 with wins over No. 13 Georgia Tech, Clemson, Syracuse and Boston College
• SMU is on a seven-game winning streak, the last six on the road.
• The Mustangs are tied with four other programs for first place in the ACC after two weeks of conference action.
Â
PONIES ON THE RISE
• SMU moved up two spots in this week's AVCA Poll to No. 15 after being ranked No. 17 last week.
• SMU jumped six spots to No. 17 in last week's rankings with two sweeps to start ACC play.
• For the first time in program history, SMU Volleyball was ranked by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), coming in at No. 22 on the Sept. 16th edition of the poll.
Â
ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• SMU graduate opposite hitter Naya Shime was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week for her performances against Syracuse and Boston College.
• Shime made a significant impact for the Mustangs defensively with a team-high seven blocks as an opposite, averaging .88 blocks per set.
• She also logged 1.75 digs per set against Boston College and Syracuse this week.
Â
NCAA RPI
• The NCAA released its first RPI rankings of the 2024 season on Monday, and the Mustangs are ranked No. 11.
• It's the program's highest RPI ranking, beating the previous high of No. 24 in last season's final RPI ranking.
Â
ROAD WARRIORS
• SMU has been outstanding in road matches this season, posting a 7-1 record, tied for the most road wins in the country with their next opponent, Pittsburgh.
• A win against Pitt would give SMU the most road wins in the country.
• SMU has won their last seven road matches after starting the season with a road loss to Hawaii in five sets.
• The Mustangs have knocked off two ranked teams in those road games, including then No. 18 Baylor and No. 13 Georgia Tech.
Â
EXPERIENCED GROUP
• SMU has won one of the country's oldest, most experienced rosters this season.
• The Mustangs have seven graduate students, two seniors, two juniors, and just three freshmen.
• The only other school with nine graduate students/seniors is the College of Charleston, which has four seniors and five graduates.
Â
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
• No. 1 Pittsburgh brings a perfect 14-0 record into the match on Wednesday.
• Prior to their 3-1 win over Boston College, the Panthers had won 36 straight sets.
• Last season, Pitt reached the final four after a 29-5 record and a 16-2 mark in the ACC.
• Pitt has been to two straight final fours and has been picked to win the ACC this season.
Â
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Wednesday's matchup will be the first meeting between the two programs.
Â
BY THE NUMBERS
• After the conclusion of last week's play, the Mustangs are ranked in the top-40 in four different categories.
• SMU ranks 12th in the country in hitting percentage (.293) and 17th in opponent hitting percentage (.148). The Mustangs are also 21st in aces per set (1.93) and 28th in blocks per set.
• Individually, Natalie Foster has been a weapon at the service line, ranking 9th in the country and first in the ACC in aces with 35 this season. Her 0.65 aces per set is good for 8th best in the nation and sits second among conference players.
• Celia Cullen currently ranks first in the conference in total assists with 539 and third in assists per set this season at 9.98, which is top-50 in the country.
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Players Mentioned
Setter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ VolleyballSunday, October 18
Sunday, October 18
Sunday, October 18
Sunday, October 18
