Louisville Upsets Wisconsin in Season-Opening Top-Ten Matchup

The Cardinals faced the Badgers as part of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.

Action during the Louisville versus Wisconsin volleyball match at the AVCA First Serve Showcase at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Aug. 27, 2024 / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Charitie Luper had 11 kills and Anna DeBeer added 10 to lead the No. 5-ranked University of Louisville to a 3-1 upset of No. 3 Wisconsin in the second match of the AVCA First Serve Showcase Tuesday night in the KFC Yum! Center.  No. 2 Nebraska beat No. 9 Kentucky 3-1 in the first match of the evening.

The Cardinals move to 1-0 on the season with the 18-25, 25-17, 26-24, 25-20 win. The victory marks the first win over UW since 1985 and was a rematch of the NCAA National Semifinals in 2021 when the Badgers won 3-2. Cara Cresse added eight kills and six blocks with Sofia Maldonado Diaz adding 11 kills. Elena Scott added a match-high 22 digs. UofL hit .166 as a team with 10 blocks and two aces.

Wisconsin hit .179 with one ace and 14 digs. The Badgers were led by Sarah Franklin's 17 kills and 2 blocks. Anna Smrek had 12 kills and four blocks.

UofL got off to a rocky start in the first set, falling behind 7-2 early and could not overcome UW's .242 hitting and four blocks.  UofL hit .077 and had two blocks.  In the second set, UofL hitting heated up to .364 when Reese Robins had three kills to spark the Cards while the Badger hitting fell to 167.

The third set was tightly contested but Louisville managed to survive .146 hitting and came back for the deuce win. Louisville hit .163 to UW's .079 and ended on a five point run.  

(Photo via Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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