Louisville Volleyball Claims Top-10 Showdown Against Creighton

The No. 4 Cardinals move to 7-1 on the season with a win over the No. 9 Blue Jays.

Dec 17, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, US; The Louisville Cardinals celebrate a point against the Texas Longhorns at CHI Health Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Charitie Luper earned MVP honors with a season-high 17 kills as the University of Louisville took down the No. 9-ranked Creighton Blue Jays 3-2 in the final match of the Cardinal Classic at the YUM! Center on Sunday, as the Cards move to 7-1 on the season.

Louisville hit for .133 as a team, with 53 kills, 49 assists, and 11 blocks. Anna DeBeer added 11 kills and pegged two aces. Luper also had an ace and two blocks to add to her performance. Reese Robins hit.364 with five kills and five blocks. Cara Cresse and Phekran Kong had a team high six blocks each, while libero Elena Scott led the team with 23 digs and seven assists. Leading the Cards in assists was setter Nayelis Cabello with 23. 

Scott and Sofia Maldonado Diaz, who had nine kills and seven digs, joined Luper on the All-Cardinal Classic team. 

Creighton (7-2) hit  .146 with four aces and 13 blocks, with senior Elise Goetzinger putting up 14 kills with six blocks.

Set 1: 25-18 Louisville

Louisville opened the first set with a 5-2 lead, which including a run of five straight points. The Cards kept the gap throughout the set, forcing Creighton to use both its timeouts. Louisville's stout defense helped them take this set with three blocks from Cara Cresse and two blocks from both Reese Robins, and Phekran Kong. Ultimately it was Robins delivering the set point blow, taking the set 25-18. Louisville hit .147, while holding the Blue Jays to .000 as a team.

Set 2: 25-20 Louisville

The Cards took control early once again, this time being fueled by a 6-0 run to jump out to a 10-5 lead, forcing Creighton to use their first timeout. Following the timeout, Louisville kept their lead at seven, which resulted in Creighton using their second timeout, with the score at 20-13. The Cardinals kept that margin all the way to the finish, which was won with a kill by Charitie Luper, her sixth of the match. Louisville hit better this set, at .417, while recording 17 assists.

Set 3: 25-10 Creighton

The third set saw the Blue Jays take an early 10-6 lead, causing the Cardinals to take a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Blue Jays kept control, forcing Louisville to use their second and final timeout, up 14-6, and would stretch their lead to 16-6 on a 9-0 run. Ultimately Creighton would take set three, after another run of eight straight, winning 25-10. Creighton hit .235, with 12 kills, five coming from Goetzinger. While Louisville hit for a -.098, with only six kills in the set.

Set 4: 25-15 Creighton

Creighton got out to 10-5 lead, causing Louisville to burn its first timeout. Three straight kills from Cresse, Cabello, and Debeer forced Creighton to call a timeout only up  only three at 15-12. Creighton would win back their momentum however, going on a 5-0 run and winning the set 25-15. Kendra Wait put up two aces for the Blue Jays, and Norah Sis added three kills as they hit .273 as a squad. Louisville hit .000 as a team, with only 11 total kills.

Set 5: 15-8 Louisville

The Cards took control early in the fifth set, causing Creighton to use their second timeout while already down 10-4. However, thanks to Luper's four kills, and Debeer's second kill of the set being the match point, the Cardinals took down the Blue Jays in set five 15-8.

(Photo via Steven Branscombe - Imagn Images)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X