Let’s throw it back to December 29, when Talia Goodman from On3 Sports dropped a bombshell that had volleyball fans doing a double take. “Pitt volleyball OH and AVCA First Team All-American Torrey Stafford has entered the transfer portal, a source told @On3sports.” Torrey Stafford, one of the shining stars of the Pittsburgh Panthers, leaving? It sounded too wild to be true. But here we are. Stafford wasn’t just any player; she was the backbone of Pitt’s success last season. With 400 kills (second only to Olivia Babcock), an average of 3.70 kills per set, and 252 digs at 2.33 digs per set, she was a powerhouse.

Fast forward, the news was finally confirmed by insiders of the Pittsburgh Panthers which really upset the fans. “College sports is a mess,” one fan raged on X. You don’t come across a sophomore All-American and First-Team All-ACC pick such as Stafford leaving the program that contributed to her success. Why she made that decision remains unclear, but this much is certain: Stafford is leaving Pitt as the first decorated volleyball player in program history to enter the portal while still having eligibility remaining. And if that was not enough, the Pittsburgh Panthers are now facing another loss, as the team appears to be struggling to fill its roster.

Samara Coleman, one of Pitt’s promising volleyball recruits, shook things up on January 16 with a post on X that hit Panthers fans right in the feels, “I’m forever grateful for the Pitt coaches, and staff for giving me an opportunity to be a part of an amazing program and community. This wasn’t an easy decision. With that being said…GO FROGS,” she shared. And just like that, she swapped her Pittsburgh Panthers stripes for some shiny new TCU vibes. Even Lincoln Arneal jumped in to spill the tea, sharing, “Coleman, an outside hitter and the 77th overall ranked prospect, flips her commitment from Pitt to TCU. She’s an early enrollee.”

Samara Coleman’s Pitt chapter ended before it even started. She committed to the school in 2023, signed in 2024, and arrived on campus this year, but the 6’1” Houston native announced she is going to TCU instead. It is a big loss for the Panthers, as Coleman was an outstanding high school player at Grand Oaks High where she registered 693 kills with a percentage of .332, 51 aces, 336 digs, and 47 blocks in her last year. She was an All-Greater Houston Player of the Year and a four-time TGCA 6A first-team All-State selection, making her one of the most sought-after recruits Pitt wanted to center its team upon.

Last fall, Pittsburgh Panthers’ head coach Dan Fisher said that Coleman was a “Texas State Champion. She has a great arm, a big jump.” He said she was a “great fit for us on the court and within our team culture.” But despite signing alongside fellow standout Abbey Emch, Coleman has left the program just weeks after stepping on campus. The reason behind her sudden flip to TCU remains unclear, leaving fans curious and Pitt scrambling to fill the gap. And guess what? Coleman and Stafford are not the only ones saying goodbye to the Pittsburgh Panthers this soon.

Pittsburgh Panthers face another blow!

On January 5, the Pittsburgh Panthers’ season took another hit as middle blocker Bianca Garibaldi went into the transfer portal. Born in Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina, Garibaldi played her national team at the U19 World Championships for Argentina and was awarded the Best Middle Blocker at the U19 South American Cup. She joined Pitt midyear with high expectations, but after a season where she played only six sets, the competition for playing time got too tight.

With new freshman Dalia Vîrlan joining the middle blocker group, Garibaldi found herself at the bottom of the depth chart behind Bre Kelley, Ryla Jones, and Vîrlan. While she made a couple of kills against Morehead State in the NCAA Tournament, she opted for more playing time elsewhere. This news comes after the previous report that Torrey Stafford has also walked away from the program.

Garibaldi is one of the many players who have departed from the Pittsburgh Panthers this offseason joining seniors Valeria Vazquez Gomez, Cat Flood, and Rachel Fairbanks. But with Kelley, Jones, and Vîrlan returning, and freshman Abbey Emch joining the mix, Pitt’s middle blocker group remains strong for the next season.