Pitt Volleyball: Changing by winning

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Volleyball at the University of Pittsburgh hasn’t really been a thing over the last several decades, however that’s changed now and it appears it’s changed for the better. Without a storied history or championship pedigree to fall back on, Pitt volleyball is changing that by simply winning.

“We just had our RPI Ranking come out,” Assistant Coach Lindsey Behonick said, “And we’re number four so it’s really cool to see.”

This is the highest national ranking in program history because as Sophomore senation, Kayla Lund puts it, they like to crush.

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“We go hard and we are aggressive with our swings,” Lund said with a smile. “None of our front row likes to tip. We are swinging as hard as possible.”

Lund leads the team in kills and aces, which has helped pave the way to a 17-0 start to the season, another program best.

“Let’s see how far we can really get this,” the sophomore said. “You know appreciate what we’ve done but just let that be motivation to continue furthering this record.”

“I think the sky is the limit,” Senior Kamalani Akeo said. “I don’t think we have really put a cap on where we want to go. We just want to go further into the tournament than we have in the past.”

Akeo speaks about the NCAA Tournament, where Pitt has yet to move past the second round, but this year’s team, self proclaimed “gym rats” have their blinders up and expectations as well, because they want to earn their right in becoming a perennial power.

“We’re used to being the underdogs,” Akeo said. “So it’s different being in the position that we are but I think that all of us have that same mentality so I think it’s a huge factor in what drives us.”