Louisville Volleyball Defeats Pitt to Reach National Title Game

The Cardinals reach their first ever championship game.

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

OMAHA, Neb. – The University of Louisville volleyball team defeated Pittsburgh in a five set thriller (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-2) in an all ACC semi-final to advance to the NCAA National Championship for the first time in school history on Thursday night at the CHI Health Arena.

The Cardinals, with a season-high 19 blocks, move to 31-2 (17-1 ACC) on the season defeating the Co-ACC Champions for the second time this season. As a team, the Cards finished with 62 kills hitting .273, 60 assists, 10 aces, and 65 digs, while the Panthers ended with 54 kills hitting .145, 51 assists, 5 aces, 61 digs, and eight blocks.

Three Cardinals had season-best performances. Elena Scott led the way with a new career high in digs, finishing the match with 28 digs. Scott also tied her career best in aces (5) and assists (8). Phekran Kong set a career record with 11 blocks, including four in the fifth set, and had five kills hitting .333. Anna DeBeer added to the season-best performances with a career best with five aces. DeBeer also recorded 15 kills, seven digs, and three blocks. Amaya Tillman notched four kills with seven blocks. Aiko Jones had double-digit kills with 12 hitting .310 and had five digs and six blocks. Raquel Lazaro tallied 49 assists, 11 digs, and five blocks. Claire Chaussee led the team with 25 kills, including four in the fifth set, hitting .429 and added three kills and three blocks.

Courtney Buzzerio led the Panthers with 13 kills hitting .133, one ace, three digs, and one block in the loss. Serena Gray tallied 10 kills hitting .238 with two aces and four blocks.

Louisville will play the Texas Longhorns in the National Championship in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

Set by Set Recap

SET 1

DeBeer served for six straight points to start the first set, forcing Pitt to burn an early timeout to adjust. After the timeout, Pitt answered with a 6-1 run to tie at eight.  The Cardinals were energized by a solo block by setter Raquel Lazaro and that sparked a 7-2 run that included two more blocks, this time by Aiko Jones and Phekran Kong.  After a flukey kill by Jones, Pitt coach Dan Fisher used his last timeout of the set trailing 16-10.  Louisville spread the lead to 21-13 on a block by Amaya Tillman and Claire Chaussee and then rolled to a 25-16 win. UofL outhit the Panthers .310 to .056 and registered five blocks and three aces to UP's one ace and two blocks. DeBeer and Jones each had three kills and no errors with DeBeer notching three aces. 

SET 2

After Louisville popped out to a 4-1 lead early in the second set but Pitt ran off five straight to take the first lead of the match at 5-4 on an ace by Cam Ennis.  The teams traded points and Pitt had a 15-12 lead at the media timeout as Pitt scored two consecutive points, the last a block on Tillman. Down 17-16, the Cards were unable to block Buzzerio and were called in the net as Pitt took a 19-16 lead and Dani Busboom Kelly called timeout. Louisville closed the margin to two on DeBeer's fourth ace of the match. After Fisher called timeout leading 21-19 and Pitt was able to score before kills by Jones and Chaussee cut the lead to one at 22-21. After Pitt scored again, Chaussee scored off the block to move the scored to 23-22.  Buzzerio notched her sixth kill to get to set point at 24-22. Busboom Kelly called timeout and DeBeer was able to score from the left side to put the score at 24-23 and spark a Pitt timeout. Serena Gray got the set winning kill from the middle to give the Panthers a 25-23 win. 

SET 3

Coming out after the break, UofL went up 3-0 on the strength of DeBeer's serving as she started the set on an ace. A block by Jones and Tillman and then a kill by Tillman took the Cards up 6-2 and Pitt called timeout. Coming out of the huddle, the Panthers scored four straight and the teams were tied. Louisville regained the lead at 8-7 on a kill by Chaussee.  The conference rivals traded points and Louisville tied at 14 on a kill by Jones. Pitt managed to spread the lead to three when UofL was called in the net to go up 19-16, causing the Cardinals to call timeout. A kill by DeBeer and a block by Kong closed the gap to one at 19-18.  A ball handling error on Pitt was then followed by a Cardinal serving error gave Pitt a 22-20 lead but two straight kills by Chaussee knotted the score at 22, forcing Pitt to call timeout. Elena Scott zinged two straight serves by Pitt for aces to get to set point at 24-22 and Chaussee parked a set from Lazaro to give Louisville the 25-22 win and a 2-1 set lead.

SET 4

The Cardinals went out to a 3-0 lead in the third and spread the margin to four at 7-3 after Chaussee had a kill from the left side.  Pitt coach Dan Fisher called timeout down 7-4 and the Panthers were able to erase a good portion of the Cardinal lead with a 3-1 run to put them down just one at 9-8.  Two straight kills by Aiko Jones and an ace by Scott gave UofL a 15-10 lead and Pitt had to use its final timeout of the set.  Pitt scored three straight to cut the lead to three at 16-13 which led to a Louisville timeout. But Pitt took advantage of a two Louisville errors and an ace by Buzzerio to tie at 17. A kill by Chaussee and a pair of blocks by Tillman took the Cards up three at 20-17.  A Cardinal service error and another kill by Buzzerio pulled UP within one at 20-19.  Pitt tied at 22 on a Card miscue and then got a kill from Buzzerio and a Gray kill gave Pitt set point.  Anna DeBeer was blocked by Buzzerio and Gray to give UP the 25-22 lead. 

SET 5

Louisville powered out to a 3-0 lead and Pitt called a quick timeout. A kill by Chaussee and a pair of blocks by Kong took UofL to 6-0 and Pitt burned its final timeout of the match.  Kong got another block to keep Pitt off the board, down 7-0. The Cards were up 8-0 after changing side after Pitt lost a challenge. But the Cards ran out the points to take the final set 15-2. 

(Photo via Steven Branscombe - USA TODAY Sports)

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