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.
university of louisville
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Director of track & field and cross country, Joe Franklin, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “It was a very good season opener…shows the progress they’ve made in their training.”
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Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly was quick to express her gratitude for the opportunity to host the tournament at the Yum! Center, recognizing the commitment of the university and the impact it has on the sport of volleyball. She praised Western Michigan as a formidable opponent, acknowledging their impressive season and highlighting the skills of their setter Logan Case and libero Andelyn Simkins.
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This is a historic moment for Louisville as they have never made it to the title game before. Their impressive 38-31 win over Miami on Nov. 18 secured their spot in the championship game and they finished the conference schedule with an overall record of 7-1, which is their best league record since joining the conference in 2014.
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In the team competition, it was Team Gongora, led by transfer Sebastian Gongora, that claimed the top spot. They finished a staggering 85 points ahead of Team Phillips. Team Kilen came in third place, with Team Anderson securing the fourth spot.
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A total of 26 schools and clubs will be participating in the meet, including several universities from Kentucky and the surrounding areas. There will also be representatives from three Power 5 schools – Stanford, Tennessee, and Texas.
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Leading the way for Louisville were Mia Duchars, Emilia Kaczmarczyk, and Julie Kouijzer, who were all selected to the first team. Aimee Plumb, India Reed, Minna Tremonti, and Merlijn van der Vegt earned second team honors.
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Head coach Rodrigo da Silva expressed his excitement about the new signing, stating, “We are super excited to add Enrique to our team this year. He has been playing and competing at the highest level, and he will bring a lot of experience to our roster.”
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Among the 14 NCAA Tournament teams on Louisville’s schedule, two reached the College World Series, two others made it to the Super Regionals, and four more reached the Regional finals. McDonnell has consistently led the Cardinals to success, and this schedule will test his team’s mettle.
