Pitt Volleyball's Facebook Page is How College Sports Fandom Ought To Be

Internet Comment Sections — yes, those three words alone can induce shivers.

That has been the case for a while, but the problem seems to be getting worse in major sports. We’ve gotten to a place where replies and comments have overwhelmingly shifted to harassment, anger and bigotry, all topics that deserves a longer introspection than I can provide here. It’s clear, though, that the expansion of sports betting (and sports bet losers) and the rollbacks of moderation on many internet platforms (outward racism, come on down!) have been major factors.

While the problem has been most acute for the WNBA this season, college volleyball has not been immune.

One example: the recent ESPN E60 documentary “No Place Like Nebraska,” which chronicled the incredible rise in popularity of the Cornhuskers’ volleyball program. From the 332-match sellout streak to the 92,003 fans who filled Nebraska’s football stadium for a match, the support for the team continues to find ways to amaze. But the other edge of that sword of devotion? Social media harassment and scorn, the likes of which can be particularly harmful to young women.

All of that leads to a sight that surprised me over the weekend after Pitt’s upset loss at #15 SMU to end the Panthers’ undefeated season. Below the Pitt Volleyball Facebook post with the final score, one could see more than 100 comments that were marked without exception (at the time of this publication) by… positivity.

It goes on: “Can’t win them all good job ladies.” “Onward and upward!” “All fixable. H2P. Love this team.” “Just a bump in the road!”

Did Mark Zuckerberg pump everyone’s keyboard with laughing gas?

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The replies to a team’s “We lost” post are almost always a trove of scapegoating, blame games, trolling from other fanbases (the trolling can be fun sometimes, I will admit), and precious little of “get ‘em next time!” silver linings.

It’s not as if Pitt Volleyball is some sideshow that fans don’t really care about. They’re about to push past 100,000 total followers on social media. There is now a waiting list for season tickets. Anyone who was among the 11,800 attendees to sell out the Pete last month can see that the program has a true and devoted fanbase.

You’re also not seeing a team that’s being treated entirely with kid gloves. There exists some negativity on platforms other than Facebook, be they other social media sites or ((shudder)) anonymous message boards. But those comments are fewer, farther between, and to my eyes drowned out by optimism.

Are Pitt fans just better than everyone else? Yes.

Nah, just kidding, though it is lovely that one player’s parent thinks so.

I think the biggest factor here is, Pitt Volleyball exists in an unusual space where most of its supporters have only known them in a time of dominance — myself included. I hopped on the bandwagon during a run when the Panthers started off the 2018 season with a record of 23-0. What a time to jump aboard, as Dan Fisher has piloted them to a 184-23 mark since that season — an .889 winning percentage!

So when the team takes a loss, it’s not ‘toxic positivity’ for a fan to send a message that says “you’ll get ‘em next time.” Given Pitt’s recent history, they almost certainly will get ‘em.

And that is the main reason I have become such an evangelist for this program (as much as tweets count as proselytizing). High-level volleyball is an amazing sport to watch, and seeing Pitt’s run of success has been a true sports fan joy that I want as many people as possible to experience. I continue to have high hopes for the 2024 Panthers — I’m hoping for a national championship, and I’ll be disappointed if some other team wins it. But we have a saying if that happens: “There’s always next year.”

College sports have changed a lot in the six years since I joined this bandwagon. Maybe as NIL dollars in volleyball pile up and TV ratings rise further (both good developments on balance, I’d say), the pressure and expectations will join in tandem and Pitt fans will become more… well… fanatical. I’ve seen mention that some sports betting sites have been taking action on college volleyball. Ugh. “So dawn goes down to day,” Robert Frost wrote, “Nothing gold can stay.”

For now, I implore the loudmouths among us, the temperamental, those who use the comment section to blow off steam: let’s maintain our positive nature around Pitt Volleyball. Show that anger is not intrinsic to sports fandom. Even in a comment section we can, I hope, have nice things.