Volleyball Triumphant In Opening Round

Per University of Louisville Sports Release:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 2-seeded University of Louisville volleyball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament following a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-9, 25-12) over Loyola Chicago inside L&N Federal Credit Union Arena on Friday night.

“We’re proud of a great win. Congratulations to Loyola Chicago on a great season – they had such a great run in the A10 tournament, they had two five-gamers to get here,” said Louisville head coach Dan Meske. “We felt like they were going to be one of the hotter teams in the tournament. They had so much momentum going in, and it was just a challenge with the physicality difference. We were just quite a bit taller in stature and our block was bigger, but sometimes that’s easier for your opponent to hit your elbows and do things like that, and I just thought we did an excellent job of controlling what we can control. Nayelis Cabello – she distributed the ball great, and I just thought we were a great version of ourselves today. So, we’re proud of the win and really excited to move on to Marquette, who looked fantastic in their game against Western Kentucky.”

Louisville (25-6, 16-4 ACC) hit .417 on the night with 43 kills, 39 digs, 12.0 blocks and five service aces. Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear led the offense with 10 kills, hitting at a .400 clip with just two errors on 20 attacks and stuffing five blocks. Outside hitter Payton Petersen, outside hitter Chloe Chicoine and middle blocker Cara Cresse all recorded nine kills, with Petersen and Chicoine serving an ace and Cresse serving two. Middle blocker Hannah Sherman led the defense with six total blocks, including two solo stuffs, and added three kills. Setter Cabello logged 31 assists, three kills and three blocks. Libero Kamden Schrand served the Cards’ other ace and led the backcourt with 10 digs. 

Loyola Chicago (17-16, 12-6 A10) hit .011 with 21 kills, 30 digs, 20 assists and 3.0 blocks. Outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke had a team-high eight kills and fellow outside Karli Molnau was close behind with seven. Molnau along with setter Emma Henry and outside hitter Ann Marie Remmes each stuffed solo blocks for the Ramblers defense. Henry added two kills and 17 assists, and libero Sam Falk logged a team-high seven digs. 

Set 1: Loyola Chicago 17, Louisville 25

Blackshear knocked down two kills, Petersen added one and Chicoine served an ace to open the match on a 4-0 run and force Loyola’s first timeout. With the Cards up 14-8 and on another 4-0 scoring runoff a kill from Chicoine, the Ramblers burned their second timeout of the set. The teams traded points until Sherman got UofL to set point with a solo block and ended the set with a kill, 25-17. 

Set 2: Loyola Chicago 9, Louisville 25

Sherman brought her defense to the second set, stuffing blocks on two of the first three points. Louisville commanded the court and took an 8-2 lead that saw Loyola using up its first timeout. Cresse served a 4-0 run with two aces that helped extend the Cards’ lead to 11 at 16-5 and forced a second Rambler timeout. UofL’s fifth ace of the match came from Schrand that was followed by a kill from Cresse to give Louisville set point at 24-8. Loyola held off the end of the set with a kill, but an attack error by the Ramblers sealed the set win 25-9 for the Cards.

Set 3: Loyola Chicago 12, Louisville 25

Loyola grabbed the first point of the set, but Louisville led 9-4 as the Ramblers took their first timeout. Cresse, Blackshear and Sherman all teamed up for blocks en route to a 19-9 Cards lead as Loyola used its last timeout. Cresse knocked down her ninth kill and the Ramblers added an attack error to put UofL at match point 24-12. Chicoine and Addison Makun combined for a block to send Louisville to the second round with a 25-12 set win. 

Louisville advances to play Marquette in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. inside L&N Arena. Marquette swept No. 7 seed Western Kentucky to advance. Louisville setter/libero Hannah Kenny will face off against her older sister Calli Kenny, a setter/defensive specialist/right-side hitter for the Golden Eagles.