Incoming freshman Samara Coleman leaves Pitt, joins TCU

Pitt currently has one outside hitter on its roster for spring practice

For the second time in as many weeks, Pitt has lost an outside hitter to the state of Texas.

Samara Coleman, a highly-touted high school outside hitter from Houston, abruptly left the City of Pittsburgh and has committed to play at TCU. Many Pitt fans, myself included, expected Coleman to compete immediately compete a starting spot at a position where the Panthers were lacking depth — and now find themselves with no depth at all.

“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,” Coleman said on Instagram. “This wasn’t an easy decision.”

The rumor mill was spinning rapidly over the past week with word that Coleman had not joined the Pitt program to which she had signed. Her father had previously posted photos, since deleted, of he and Samara arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport and moving in to housing in Oakland. Coleman’s Instagram post ended with an all-caps “#HEALTHY” — a likely reference to the (unconfirmed) reports that Coleman did not pass medical clearance to join the Panthers.

Pitt is now in the bizarre situation of only having one outside hitter officially on its roster — current sophomore Blaire Bayless — after the departure of First-Team All-America Torrey Stafford to the Texas Longhorns last week. Illinois transfer Brooke Mosher, a setter with Big Ten experience as a pin hitter, has yet to officially join the Panthers.

Coaches Dan Fisher and Kellen Petrone will no doubt be searching the spring transfer portal and the international market for left-side arms. They have a history of pulling in phenomenal pin hitters from the portal, namely Leketor Member-Meneh and Courtney Buzzerio for their final seasons. Now the need for a player who can terminate is greater than it has ever been.

For now, there are logistics. The Panthers currently have just 11 players at Fitzgerald Field House for spring practice. Nine are currently on the official roster and incoming freshman Abbey Emch and Florida State transfer Emery Dupes have enrolled for the spring semester. Pitt may need to tap in alumnae or coaches to even play six-on-six scrimmages, which has happened in the past with Pitt legends like Chinaza Ndee joining for practice or Serena Gray sticking around for spring ball after her college eligibility expired.

Someone text Cat Flood to see if she wants more time in the gym this spring.

Fans can be forgiven for having whiplash. A few weeks ago, Pitt looked to have a bona fide military parade of arms for the 2025 season with Bayless, Stafford, Coleman and National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. Now two of those names are on rosters in the Lone Star State.

Count it as a healthy reminder that underneath all of the attendance records and million-viewer TV ratings, these are still human beings — teenagers at that. We don’t know the whole story with Stafford’s transfer or Coleman’s whirlwind arrival and departure (though that won’t stop people on the message boards from trying to fill in the gaps with hearsay). You wish these young women well and hope that one athlete’s move is another athlete’s opportunity to shine in Pittsburgh.