The program next turned to Ohio State assistant Shelton Collier , who in his initial season as head coach in 1980 guided the Panthers to a school record with 41 wins , and followed up in 1981 with a season that included a win at eighth-ranked Pepperdine , an EAIWA Championship , and a ninth-place finish in the final year of the AIAW national championships . In 1982 , the women 's volleyball program transitioned both into the NCAA , which took over the sponsorship of intercollegiate athletics from the AIWA , as well as into the Big East Conference . In addition , the program permanently moved their home games from their primary home in Trees Hall to the larger Fitzgerald Field House , which had previously hosted select volleyball tournaments and games . During Collier 's tenure , Pitt established itself as the dominant volleyball team in the Big East from the start , winning the regular season Big East Southern Division tournament , without losing a game and losing only one set , in every year in which it competed : 1982 , 1983 , and 1984 . Pitt also won the first ever Big East Tournament in 1982 without losing a game en route to the program 's second 41-win season . Collier guided Pitt to capture additional Big East Tournament crowns in 1984 , 1986 , and 1988 and appeared in the NCAA Women 's Volleyball Championship in 1982 , 1984 , 1986 , and 1987
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Pittsburgh Panthers women's volleyball