Babcock and Fisher Earn Major ACC Awards, Seven Panthers Named to All-ACC Teams

PITTSBURGH – All seven of Pitt’s starters were named all-conference, announced by the ACC Monday afternoon. This is the second consecutive season seven Panthers were recognized as All-ACC performers.

Dan Fisher was named the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year after leading Pitt to an incredible 29-1 overall record and 19-1 ACC finish. This marks Fisher’s third career ACC Coach of the Year award. The Panthers were named the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever and won its sixth ACC Championship. 

Olivia Babcock was named the 2024 ACC Player of the Year after earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors last season. Babcock is the second Panther in program history to receive the prestigious award and first to win it since Kayla Lund (2019, 2020). She leads the Pitt offense and averages 5.87 points per set and has won two AVCA National Player of the Week and three ACC Offensive Player of the Week awards this season. Babcock also saw her name on the All-ACC First Team for the second straight season and is an AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist.

Rachel Fairbanks was named First Team All-ACC for the second consecutive season and is averaging a career-best 10.33 assist per set, good for fifth in program history. She is setting Pitt to a nation’s best 0.341 team hitting percentage and is impressive in her back court play, averaging 2.22 digs per set. The 2023 ACC Setter of the Year and AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist currently has 2,886 career assists to her name along with 742 digs and 276 kills. 

Torrey Stafford has enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign. The 2024 First Team All-ACC performer is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist and currently leads in the nation in hitting percentage for all Power Four outside hitters (0.377). Stafford contributes 3.76 kills per set and 2.24 digs per set as a six-rotation player.

Bre Kelley has impressed this season after a season ending injury last year. She was named a First Team All-ACC player for the first time in her career and is currently third in the conference with 1.53 blocks per set and is hitting a blistering .514. She earned the ACC Defensive Player of the Week award (10/21) after averaging 2.00 blocks per set and 1.67 kills per set, hitting .450 in two sweeps over Cal and Stanford. 

Valeria Vazquez Gomez has contributed in every area of her game in her sixth season. She earned Second Team All-ACC honors and averages 2.10 kills per set and 1.98 digs per set. She recently became the newest Panther in the 1,000 kill and 1,000 dig club. Vazquez Gomez is hitting an efficient .251 for the year and has captained the Panthers, alongside Rachel Fairbanks, to its sixth ACC Championship.

Emmy Klika is a steady presence in both defense and serve receive in her final season as a Panther. The two-time Second Team All-ACC player is widely regarded as one of the best passers in the nation and helps Pitt hold opponents to a nation’s best 0.122 hitting percentage. 

Ryla Jones was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team for her efforts in her rookie campaign. She has made an immediate impact on the team and was named the ACC Freshman of the Week (9/23) after notching 18 kills and not committing a single error en route to a .692 hitting percentage with wins over Penn State, East Carolina and Marquette. Jones averages over 1.00 block and kill per set in Pitt’s commanding offense and defense.