Virginia volleyball has exploded onto the college volleyball scene this season and is currently on pace for its strongest record since 2003. Now in the thick of ACC play, the Cavaliers are already coming off impressive wins against No. 16 seed. State of Florida, Miami And Syracuse. This week, however, Virginia will face perhaps its two toughest opponents yet at home: No. 1 Pittsburgh and No. 12 Southern Methodist.

Over the course of this season, the Cavaliers have battled for a gradual rise in the American Volleyball Coaches Association polls. Virginia has now had four straight weeks of honorable mentions outside the top 25. On the other hand, Pittsburgh has topped the AVCA rankings for eight weeks in a row.

The Panthers have an impressive 19-1 record and a 9-1 mark in the ACC. Not only have they consistently knocked off opponents – including three in the top five – but in 2024 they have only dropped a total of seven sets. Nearly 85 percent of Pittsburgh’s wins have been sweeps.

Much of this success was led by sophomore outside hitter Olivia Babcock and senior setter Rachel Fairbanks. Babcock was named AVCA National Player of the Week last week after a dominant performance in the Panthers’ win against No. 5 Stanford, with 17 kills and 10 blocks. Fairbanks has received three ACC Setter of the Week honors this season, the most recent coming last week after Pittsburgh’s wins against No. 3 Louisville and Notre Dame.

Virginia’s showdown on Friday against the Panthers will be a game that will certainly require the Cavaliers’ full focus and determination. A win would mark their first victory against the Panthers since 2015 – not to mention Virginia’s first victory against a top-ranked opponent in program history.

To pull off a historic upset, the Cavaliers will need to get strong performances and elite command from experienced players, including senior libero Milan Gomillion, senior outside hitter Elayna Duprey and senior outside hitter Brooklyn Borum. Coach Shannon Wells cited the entirety of Virginia upper class as a key to success this season, and the Cavaliers will rely on them for success against Pittsburgh.

As for the Mustangs, they have followed Virginia’s path and found new success this season. With a 15-6 record overall and a 7-3 mark in conference play, this year marks the first time in program history that Southern Methodist has been ranked in the top 25. The Mustangs currently sit at No. 12 in the national rankings, but were at their highest on October 20 when the AVCA ranked them at No. 7.

Most notably, the Mustangs are the only team to beat the Panthers this season. Southern Methodist defeated Pittsburgh in a tight five-set match on Oct. 12 in the ACC home opener. The Mustangs have shown an impressive ability to compete with any team in front of them, and they could prove just as tough to beat as Pittsburgh.

To win against Southern Methodist, the Cavaliers will have to thwart key players, including a duo of graduate transfers: outside hitter Maya Tabron, a transfer from Colorado, and outside hitter Naya Shime, who transferred from Wyoming. Shime was named ACC Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 7, while Tabron has recorded eight double-doubles this season.

Achieving consecutive ranking victories this weekend certainly won’t be easy for Virginia. But the Cavaliers are no strangers to playing the underdog role, as they consistently racked up wins this season and surprised the volleyball world with their unprecedented success.

But stealing even one win against the Mustangs or Panthers could be crucial for Virginia to break into the AVCA rankings. With a win, the Cavaliers would also vastly improve their chances of qualifying for their first NCAA tournament since 1999.

Friday’s match starts at 7:00 PM, while the first service takes place on Sunday at 2:00 PM. The games can be streamed on ACCNX