Louisville Volleyball Falls to Pitt in Elite Eight

The Cardinals end their 2023 season with a 27-5 overall record.

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

PITTSBURGH - The No. 2-seeded University of Louisville volleyball team fell 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 19-25, 7-15 to No. 1-seeded Pittsburgh Friday afternoon in the Elite Eight.

The Cardinals finish their season 27-5 overall, hitting .213 with five aces and 13 blocks in the loss. Middle blocker Phekran Kong tied her career-high with 13 kills while hitting .600 along with eight blocks. Outside hitter Anna DeBeer tallied 13 kills, eight digs, and three blocks, middle blocker Cara Cresse recorded nine kills, five blocks, and an ace, and middle blocker Aiko Jones added nine kills, six blocks, and five digs in her final match as a Cardinal. Setter Elle Glock had 39 assists, four digs, and a block, while libero Elena Scott totaled 10 digs, four assists, and three aces.

Pittsburgh moves to 29-4 this season, as the Panthers advance to their third straight Final Four by hitting .286 with 11 aces and 14 blocks. Torrey Stafford led the way with 18 kills, 11 digs, and two blocks, and Olivia Babcock was right behind her with 16 kills, eight digs, five blocks, and three aces.

In the first set, UofL used a five-point run to go up 8-4 on the Panthers, three points of which came from two kills and an ace by Luper. The Cardinals spread the lead to five at 11-6 after a slide by Phekran Kong and forced a Pitt timeout. Pitt countered with a 5-2 run to pull within three at 15-12 when Valeria Vazquez Gomez got hot on the left side with three straight kills. Pitt called timeout down 19-14 and then scored twice coming out of the huddle. A kill by Kong gave Louisville the serve back before the rivals started trading points. An ace by Vazquez Gomez dragged the Panthers to within two at 21-19 and Dani Busboom Kelly called timeout. Babcock connected twice from the middle to put Pitt within one at 22-21. Leading 23-22, the Cards got to set point on a Panther service error. Pitt scored on a service error by the Cards before DeBeer bounced on from the back row to take the first set 25-23. Jones hit a perfect five for five in the first set with Kong adding two blocks. The Cards hit .333 to Pitt’s .265 with the Panthers out-blocking UofL 3-2.

The second set featured nine ties and seven lead changes halfway through the set. The Cards led 15-14 at the media timeout. When UofL scored three points after the break, Pitt had to use its first timeout, down 19-15. UofL finally got a sliver of separation on a Pitt service error and a kill on an overpass by Kong to go up 21-17 which forced the Panthers to burn their final timeout of the set. Two straight aces by Elena Scott took the Cards to set point at 24-19. After Scott missed a serve, Vazquez Gomz aced the Cards but a kill by Anna DeBeer gave the Cards the 25-20 win going into the break. DeBeer led the offense in that set with five kills with Kong and Jones adding two blocks apiece.

In the third set, the teams traded points, with UofL maintaining the lead. Ahead 9-7 after a block by Kong, the Panthers ran off four straight to take their first lead at 11-10 on a kill by Torrey Stafford. Pitt took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout. Pitt spread the lead to five at 20-15 on two consecutive points and the Cards called timeout. The break did little to break the Pitt momentum as the Panthers scored on two kills by Torrey Stafford to hit set point. An ace by Cat Flood gave the Panthers their first set win at 25-16. Louisville hit .200 to Pitt’s .560 in the stanza.

Pitt kept momentum early in the fourth set, using a 5-0 scoring run to take a 7-4 lead and force a Louisville timeout. After trailing 11-6, the Cards got a kill and two blocks from Kong to cut the lead to two. Pitt kept the pressure on with four straight for their biggest lead of seven at 15-8 when they blocked the Cards twice during that stretch. Pitt reached set point at 24-16 but the Cards staved off the winning point three straight times forcing Pitt to call timeout. Coming out of the huddle, Babcock connected for her 13th kill. Neither team was hitting well in the fourth with Louisville hitting .133 to Pitt’s .043 but five aces by Pitt was the deciding factor.

In the fifth set, Pitt popped out to a 4-1 lead powered by two kills by Babcock. After a Cardinal timeout, Pitt continued to press the Cards and led 8-2 at the bench switch. UofL was blocked and then Vazquez Gomez bounced one to go up 10-3 and Busboom Kelly was forced to burn its final timeout. The Cardinals challenged on what could have been match point at 14-5 and won but the Cards were not done yet. Two consecutive kills by DeBeer put the Cards down seven at 14-7 when Pitt called timeout. A kill by Emma Monks gave the Panthers the 15-7 win.

(Photo via University of Louisville Athletics)

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