Pitt volleyball All-American Torrey Stafford enters NCAA transfer portal
Pitt volleyball’s Torrey Stafford, one of the team’s three first-team All-Americans, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, a Pitt athletics spokesperson confirmed.
Stafford’s departure will be a major blow to the most successful program on campus after she finished second on the team to AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock with 4.2 points per set and 3.7 kills per set.
Stafford, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Torrance, Calif., and a national player of the year semifinalist, was one of the main catalysts who propelled Pitt toward its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. The Panthers finished 33-2, losing to Louisville in the national semifinals.
Coach Dan Fisher already knew he would need to retool his roster this offseason after losing to graduation All-American setter Rachel Fairbanks, plus Emmy Klika, Valeria Vazquez Gomez, Cat Flood and Nisa Buzlutepe.
Fisher has been active in the transfer portal, securing commitments from former Florida State libero Emery Dupes and Brooke Mosher, a setter who played at Illinois. Both players announced their plans to enroll on social media.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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