Peters Township’s Alex Knox has loved volleyball ever since she started playing at 10 years old, putting countless hours into the sport. That hard work has already paid off.
The rising junior setter has committed to Pitt and accepted an invitation to play on USA Women’s Volleyball’s U19 National Team.
Knox announced her Pitt commitment Tuesday on Instagram.
“Committing to a school where I can play for it four years, and a place where, obviously, it’s 20 minutes from my house, I feel like that’s just such a cool opportunity, that I was able to grow up with such a high-level college-level team right next to me,” Knox said.
Knox regularly stood out at Pitt volleyball camps, catching the eye of Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher and the rest of the staff. It also didn’t hurt that she was stellar playing for her Monroeville-based club team, 3DGE Volleyball, which further established Knox as one of Pitt women’s volleyball’s top prospects.
“Committing to a school where they actually really want you and (it’s) your No. 1 choice is amazing, but honestly, from my side, it wasn’t stressful at all,” Knox said. “They were super, just honest and forthcoming with everything, and it was super helpful, of course, that I already had some relationship with them.”
The connection Knox formed with Fisher, also a recruiter for USA Volleyball, helped her land a spot on the national team. This familiarity extends to teammates, as Knox said she already knows most of the U19 roster, including fellow Pitt commit Leilani Lamar.
Knox will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. from July 9-16 to train with the team at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, looking to be one of the 14 players chosen, out of 20, to make the competition roster. If selected, Knox would compete at the 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation Women’s U19 Continental Championship, taking place July 17–25 in San José, Costa Rica.
“Even if I don’t make the travel team, just the chance I have with playing with these girls and coaches who are just amazing and who have already helped me out so much, I think that’s just really cool in itself. … So I’m just honestly really excited to see what it brings, and of course, it’s God’s plan, so (it’s) whatever he has in store for me,” Knox said. “But I think just making these connections with coaches and players that I honestly never would have made if I wasn’t involved in this is just something super special, and I’m really excited for it.”
Knox also helped lead Peters Township to the 2025 WPIAL Class 4A championship and the PIAA quarterfinals, playing as a hitter in addition to her setting duties.
“When she’s in the back row, she sets, and when she comes to the front row, she hits. So that just tells you a little bit more about her versatility and what a skilled player she is. … Not only is she very, very skilled just in terms of her physical attributes, but she makes really good decisions, and her demeanor, the way she carries herself on the court, is what really sets her apart,” Peters Township girls volleyball coach Chris Kelly said. “To be a really good setter, you can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. It’s very even-keeled.”
Knox also earned Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state honors as a setter and opposite hitter for her high school efforts this past season, along with her coach’s praise of her as a great teammate on and off the court.
“It’s a privilege and a pleasure to have a kid like Alex on my team,” Kelly said.
While Kelly focused on building Knox’s leadership, vocal presence and other intangibles, Knox attributes Erin Graybill for fostering her love of the sport.
“I started at my local recreation center,” Knox said. “And I honestly have so, so much respect for my first coach.”
Knox said Graybill also helped her realize that setting was her strength, which she built upon when playing for Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball and Peters Township.
“I just have so much respect and gratitude for all she’s done for me, and of course, my high school coach, Coach Kelly, for everything he has helped me with,” Knox said. “For our team to win WPIALs for the first time in our school’s history was just so amazing. … I’m so excited for this opportunity. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to commit to such an amazing program that, honestly, not a lot of girls get.”
While excited to defend Peters Township’s WPIAL championship and chase its first state title, Knox has another championship in mind, one that has eluded Pitt in its five consecutive NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four appearances.
“Winning a national championship would be so amazing, and I think the team has the talent and the coaching to make that happen, and definitely the mentality and drive from what I’ve seen so far,” Knox said. “My goal is to just make an impact on the team and really help them win a national championship.”