Calling Final Four 'Pretty Surreal' for Louisville Alumna Katie George

The ESPN sideline reporter and Cardinals alumna will be on the call this weekend for the women's volleyball Final Four.

Oct 14, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Katie George walks the field before a game between the LSU Tigers and the Auburn Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At just 31 years old, there's very few things that Katie George hasn't accomplished in the world of sports.

On the court, the Louisville native and UofL alumna established herself as one of the best collegiate volleyball players in the nation. She was a three-time First-Team all-conference selection, winning it in the American once and the ACC twice. George also helped guide the Cardinals to a regular season conference title in the American in 2013, and an ACC Tournament championship in 2015.

Her accomplishments off the court since the end of her playing days have been slowly building up as well. Starting a sportscasting career here in Louisville at WDRB, that career arc carried her to Fox Sports Wisconsin to cover Milwaukee Bucks games in 2018, then the ACC Network for its launch in 2019. She eventually joined ESPN full-time in 2021, and has been a regular fixture on college football Saturdays as a sideline reporter.

One thing she has yet to do has make it to her sport's ultimate pinnacle: the Final Four and National Championship. For as decorated as an individual player as she was and how talented the teams she played on were, the farthest Louisville ever made it in the NCAA Tournament during her four-year career was the Round of 32.

Getting to the biggest stage in college volleyball - regardless of the capacity- was something that, even as a kid, was something that she dreamed about.

"I was 13 or 14, and I was at a family holiday party this time of year, and I went down in the basement, and everybody was watching the Final Four," George said in an interview with Louisville Cardinals On SI. "I remember thinking to myself as a kid, I was playing club volleyball at that time, about to go to high school, and I thought 'I certainly want to play in one of those but I hope one day, because I knew at that point I wanted to get into television, I hope I get to call this event',"

That dream will come to fruition this weekend.

The NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Volleyball National Semifinal is set for this Thursday, with the National Championship on tap for Saturday. On the television call alongside Courtney Lyle and Holly McPeak will be none other than George.

As if realizing a lifelong dream wasn't sweet enough, it will be even sweeter given the circumstances of the Final Four. Not only is it taking place at the KFC Yum! Center here in Louisville, Ky., but her alma mater is one of the four teams still standings. Nebraska, Penn State and Pitt are the other three.

"It's pretty surreal that I think this storybook storyline has kind of come to fruition with Louisville making it to this point," George said. "For me, I never got to play in a national semifinal or championship, and to be able to call one as an analyst is, obviously, such an honor. But to be able to do it in the arena that I played my four year career in is really special."

Adding to the potential storybook ending, not only is Louisville one of the four teams to make it to the biggest stage in college volleyball, they have a very good chance to be the last one standing.

Led by eighth-year head coach Dani Busboom Kelly, the Cardinals secured a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, and head into the Final Four sporting a record of 29-5. Four different players have secured All-American honors, including ACC Defensive Player of the Year Elena Scott. They're one of the top defensive teams in the country, with their 3.10 blocks per set leading the nation and their .142 opponent hitting percentage ranking coming in at sixth.

It wasn't an easy road to get to this point. In their second round game against Northern Iowa, Louisville found themselves on the ropes and trailing two sets to one. The dream of playing for a national title on their home floor was in dire straits.

However, Louisville rallied to win the next two sets and assure they would play in the second weekend of the tournament. The Cardinals were flat out dominant in their games preceding the Final Four, sweeping Purdue then taking down Stanford 3-1 after falling behind in the first set. After officially punching their ticket to the Final Four, a normally fairly stoic Busboom Kelly couldn't help but shed tears in that moment.

"I think that was a very stressful situation, and I think there was so much pressure in that moment, because you know that the national semifinals and final are here in your home gym," George said. "I can't imagine what that pressure felt like as a player and as a coach. Then the response you saw against Purdue, and then Stanford and sets two, three and four - they were so efficient, which I thought was really impressive.

"Sometimes you need a wake up call, and I think they got it. For Dani, yes, she is emotional because she's so happy and proud, but I think there was a lot of relief involved in those tears after the win over Stanford."

While Louisville has just two games separating them from their first ever national championship, their toughest task lies ahead. In their semifinal matchup, they will be facing none other than Pitt.

Since the Cardinals' move to the ACC in 2014, the Panthers have not only become their chief volleyball rival, but they have also ascended to blue blood status in the sport alongside Louisville. Pitt has not only made it to four straight Finals Fours, but at 33-1, they are the No. 1 overall seed in this year's tournament.

While Louisville leads the all-time series between the two at 20-18, Pitt's had success against them this season. The Panthers downed the Cardinals in five sets in the Steel City back on Oct. 25, then won 3-1 in the Derby City on Nov. 27.

With all the marbles at stake in the third meeting between the two this season, George is looking for Louisville's defense to perform up to their standard.

"Louisville is the best blocking team in the country, they need to look like it," she said. "Olivia Babcock is a semifinalist for ABCA National Player of the Year, for good reason. She's the best right side in the country. They go to her early and often, as I would if I was setting her. I think you have to not stop her, because you're not going to, but you have to slow her down and contain here. But in doing so you can't allow somebody else to go off, and I think that that's what's happened in the first two meetings. Louisville's defense has to be phenomenal."

That being said, Louisville's has one major advantage for this showdown: home court advantage. While all 22,090 of the KFC Yum! Center's capacity might not be Cardinals fans, it's expected to be an overwhelmingly UofL friendly showing.

A team of Pitt's caliber might not rattle easily when facing a raucous crowd, but George has seen first-hand what the crowd's energy feeding into Louisville can do.

"I did a regional a couple years ago when Louisville went five sets against Oregon," she said. "In that fifth set, I thought Oregon got a little rattled because it was so loud. It makes communication hard. You can't sometimes think as a setter, because things are so loud and rowdy. That could ultimately end up helping Louisville if it goes to an extended fourth or fifth set."

The Final Four matchup between the Cardinals and Panthers is set for Thursday, Dec. 19 a 6:30 p.m. EST.

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