Elite is a strong word to throw around when talking athletic achievement, but Pitt women’s volleyball earned it, literally, Thursday afternoon.

The Panthers defeated Florida, 3-1, in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 match in Madison, Wisc. The victory vaults Pitt into the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season.

Pitt will play the host team, Wisconsin, in the Regional Final on Saturday night. The Badgers defeated Penn State in five sets (25-21, 25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 8-15).

Pitt (30-3) won three of four sets (25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 25-22) against the Gators. The loss in the third set was Pitt’s first of the tournament.

For the third year in a row, Pitt is in the ELITE 8!!!!#H2P x #NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/kVlo7mw0iP

— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 8, 2022

Courtney Buzzerio led Pitt with 19 kills and tied a season high in digs, with eight. Rachel Fairbanks also recorded eight digs.

“I thought on the night we were the better team in transition,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “We showed a lot of grit, withstanding long rallies and often coming away from them with points.

“I was pleased with our service game and our poise in tough moments. It was a very good volleyball match with some high-level rallies. They pushed us to the edge and overall, I’m so proud of this group for advancing.”

Pitt’s 30-victory season is its fourth in a row (not counting the abbreviated 24-match covid season of 2020-2021), a distinction unmatched across the nation. Pitt leads Division I with 139 victories since 2018.

Pitt is one of only three teams in Division I to advance to three consecutive Elite Eights, joining Texas and Wisconsin.

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