In a thrilling match on December 7th, the Louisville Cardinals secured a 3-2 victory over Creighton to secure their spot in the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year. Led by standout players Charitie Luper and Anna DeBeer, who contributed 20 and 19 kills respectively, the Cardinals showed their resilience against a scrappy Creighton team. Both Luper and DeBeer achieved double-doubles in the match. With this win, the Cardinals improved to 27-4 for the season. The team displayed strong offensive performance, hitting .277 with 69 kills, six aces, and eight blocks. Middle blocker Cara Cresse also made a significant impact with 12 kills, an ace, and three blocks. Reese Robins, who came off the bench, proved crucial in the fifth set with five kills and two blocks, including one in the deciding set. Setter Elle Glock contributed 49 assists, while libero Elena Scott showcased her defensive prowess with a match-high 27 digs. This victory now brings the Cardinals’ record in five-set matches to 3-2.
In their previous match against Western Michigan, the No. 7-ranked and No. 2-seeded Cardinals swept their opponent to secure their spot in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. With this win, Louisville improved to 26-4 for the season. The Cardinals dominated on the offensive end, hitting above .300 in every set, with a total hitting percentage of .342 throughout the match. Cara Cresse continued to impress with nine kills and three blocks, hitting an impressive .538. Anna DeBeer delivered an all-around performance with nine kills, nine digs, and two blocks, while Phekran Kong contributed seven kills and five blocks. Middle blocker Reese Robbins, who provided a much-needed spark off the bench, hit .462 with a career-high eight kills and a block. Libero Elena Scott shined again with 22 digs, seven assists, and two aces, while setter Elle Glock recorded 26 assists, 11 digs, and an ace.
Meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, are set to face off against the Louisville Cardinals in the Elite Eight. The Panthers (28-4, 16-2 ACC) secured their spot in the Regional Finals after sweeping Washington State (26-8, 14-6 Pac-12) in their previous match. This marks the fourth consecutive season that the Panthers have advanced to the Elite Eight and the second time they will host the Regional Final match. Olivia Babcock played a pivotal role in the victory, recording a match-high 15 kills with a hitting percentage of .500. She also contributed six digs, five blocks, and four aces, solidifying her place in program history for the highest hitting percentage in an NCAA Tournament match.
Pittsburgh, with a record of 28-4, had an impressive tournament run so far. They swept Coppin State in the first round and defeated the No. 8-seeded USC in four sets in the second round. This is the Panthers’ eighth consecutive tournament appearance and their 19th overall. The upcoming match against the Cardinals will be the third time the two teams face each other this season. In their previous encounters, Louisville swept Pittsburgh at the KFC Yum! Center but fell to Pittsburgh in five sets in their second matchup. Head Coach Dan Fisher, in his 11th season, has led the Panthers to unprecedented success, including four consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, three Elite Eight appearances from 2020-2022, and two Final Four appearances. The team also amassed the most wins in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball over the previous five seasons, with 140 victories. Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford lead the Panthers’ offensive efforts with 377 and 334 kills respectively, while Emmy Klika has recorded 319 digs and Emma Monks has tallied 151 blocks, anchoring the team defensively.
