Panthers fans have plenty to keep an eye on right now, and the questions this week all seemed to land on the same pressure points: lineup decisions in volleyball, an uncertain quarterback situation in football, and where Pitt stands in men’s soccer and both basketball programs.
In volleyball, the two-libero setup has become part of Pitt’s identity, and it’s not as unusual as it might look from the outside. Florida State has used one too, and the idea is simple: put the right player in the right role.
For Pitt, that means Izzy Masten handling serve receive and Trinity Thompson taking over on base defense, when the opponent is serving. Mallorie Meyer hasn’t been pushed aside so much as squeezed by strong play from others, while Marina Pezelj has also entered the conversation after what she did against SMU.
Meyer is still available as a serving and defensive specialist, and the rotation around her is still fluid.
Head coach Dan Fisher said after the Florida State match:
"Izzy in the last month has just been passing at a really high level. She's earned the jersey.
We've talked about Trinity before, how much she can bring defensively. Izzy Masten did not get served until the third set, and we haven't seen that all year.
I mean, she was getting lonely out there. So at this point, she's kind of earned the jersey.
Whether Ayanna [Watson] stays in the back row or Mallorie plays or Marina, we have some good options. I'd say that's still up for grabs.
But yeah, I've liked the way it looked the last couple games."
Football is a little murkier. With Corey Dailey and Holden Geriner both making their first career starts, neither looked like the final answer at quarterback.
Geriner, a fifth-year player, finished 27-of-44 for 219 yards with two interceptions, while Dailey, a rookie who was not expected to be in this spot, went 11-of-25 for 193 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His 75-yard touchdown to Cataurus Hicks against Boston College flashed the arm talent Pitt saw in him, but the overall line wasn’t clean enough to settle the conversation.
Still, Dailey wasn’t the reason Pitt lost. The defensive issues and the penalties did more damage.
For now, the clearest path may be to simplify things and lean into the run game with Ja'Kyrian Turner, Damon Ferguson Jr. and La'Vell Wright. Turner’s health matters there, but the Panthers do have three backs worth trusting.
The men’s basketball exhibition at Providence also gave a first look at what this team might become, even if the score was a reminder that there’s still work to do. It’s Oct. 18, the season is still two weeks out, and the issues that showed up - turnovers, rebounding, the usual chemistry pieces - are the kind that tend to improve with time. Providence was always expected to be strong, and Pitt had stretches where it looked right there with them.
The scoring was spread around in a way that should matter once the games count. Baye Ndongo posted 13 points and seven rebounds on 6-for-8 shooting.
A'lahn Sumler added 12 points, five assists and four made field goals in nine attempts. Jonathan Powell led the way with 15 points, while Nait George scored nine and Chase Foster finished with eight.
That balance is part of how this group is going to have to function.
On the soccer side, Pitt’s standing remains strong. The latest D1 Committee Top 16 has the Panthers at No. 6, with Clemson at No. 4 and SMU at No. 5 giving the ACC three teams in the top 10.
If the results keep coming, Pitt should be in position to host at least a few postseason games. There are only three matches left: Georgetown at home, plus Boston College and Virginia.
The reason this program keeps reaching this level starts with Jay Vidovich, who keeps bringing in top talent from the United States and overseas and then develops it inside a system that doesn’t let players get comfortable.
The women’s basketball outlook is more cautious, but there’s reason to believe the team will be better. Robin Harmony is seen as the right coach for a rebuild, though that kind of turnaround doesn’t happen in one season.
The roster includes sisters Taryn and Taylor Barbot, along with Alancia Ramsey, who brings power-conference experience, and Macie Arzner, who is back and improving. Being truly competitive in the ACC may still be a stretch, but a step forward, and a few more wins than the last couple seasons, feels realistic.
In Other News...
Clemson Now Faces A Very Different Florida State Offense
Florida State is heading into its bye week with a very different look in the backfield after a bruising double-overtime loss to Miami left the Seminoles shorthanded. Ousmane Kromah was injured on the play and his absence comes at a bad time, because the matchup with Clemson now looms next on the schedule and Florida State will have to sort out its running game without one of its more important pieces.
The Seminoles did not issue an official medical update, but the situation points to a lengthy recovery and a possible season-ending setback. Tre Wisner is expected to absorb a bigger workload in the offense, and how Florida State adjusts around him could shape what that Clemson game looks like when the bye week ends. [Read more 🡒]
Pitts First 2026-27 Test Exposed A Problem Fans Will Notice
Pitts first look at the 2026-27 season came with plenty of lessons, and not many of them were the kind a team wants in an exhibition. The Panthers fell 87-64 to Providence, a game that quickly turned on the Friars outside shooting and their edge on the glass, even as three Pitt players reached double figures.
The most encouraging offensive note for Pitt was the debut of a North Carolina transfer, who led the Panthers with 15 points. But Providence kept controlling the possession game, knocking down 15 three-pointers and winning the rebounding battle 42-26, the kind of issues that tend to show up fast in November and linger if they are not cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]