The University of Louisville’s volleyball team is heading to Pittsburgh for the Sweet Sixteen where they will face off against Creighton. The match is scheduled for noon on Thursday, December 7th at Fitzgerald Field House. The winner of this match will go on to face either No. 4-seed Washington State or No. 1-seed Pittsburgh on Saturday, December 9th.
Louisville, ranked No. 7 and seeded No. 2, secured their spot in the Sweet Sixteen by sweeping Western Michigan on Friday night. With this win, Louisville’s overall record for the season now stands at 26-4. Louisville showed a strong performance with a hitting percentage of .342, hitting over .300 in every set. They also had five aces and 10 blocks. Middle blocker Cara Cresse stood out with nine kills and three blocks while hitting .538. Outside hitter Anna DeBeer recorded nine kills, nine digs, and two blocks. Middle blocker Phekran Kong added seven kills and five blocks. Reese Robbins, who came off the bench, made a crucial impact by hitting .462 with a career-high eight kills and a block. Libero Elena Scott had an exceptional performance with 22 digs, seven assists, and two aces. Setter Elle Glock contributed 26 assists, 11 digs, and an ace.
Creighton, seeded No. 3, also booked their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen by sweeping Minnesota in the second round. This win extends Creighton’s winning streak to 17 straight matches, making it their third time reaching the Sweet 16 in program history and the first time since 2016. In their match against the Gophers, Norah Sis led all players with 16 kills, followed by Ava Martin with 15 kills and Ellie Bichelmeyer with 12 kills. Kendra Wait recorded her 17th double-double of the season with 44 assists and a match-high 17 digs. Creighton had 56 kills, four aces, 53 digs, and seven blocks on .255 hitting.
With both teams displaying strong performances leading up to this match, it will be an exciting showdown to determine who will move on to the Elite Eight. The Louisville Cardinals and Creighton Bluejays are sure to deliver an intense battle on the court.
