The University of Louisville volleyball team continues to make its presence felt in the upper echelons of one of the NCAA’s fastest growing sports, the Cardinals undefeated after three matches. Still packing them in, too, with a crowd of 6,290 at the KFC Yum! Center on Sunday.
Small wonder the sport is becoming so popular with so many highly-ranked teams competing head-to-head. Top 10 matches galore in the first two weeks and there are more to come. Third-ranked Louisville faces two recent national champions over the next two weeks in Texas and Kentucky.
UofL improved its won-lost record to 3-0 with a convincing 3-1 win over Illinois in the ACC-Big 10 Showdown. The third-ranked Cardinals prevailing by scores of 25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 25-1 in a nationally televised contest.
Some fresh faces in the starting lineup for the Cardinals, and they were impressive.
Payton Peterson, a six-foot sophomore outside hitter from Iowa, leading all scorers with 20 kills on offense and four blocks and 11 digs on defense. Chloe Chicoine, a 5-foot-10 transfer from Purdue, with 17 kills and four blocks in her outside hitter position. Then there was Kalyssa Blackshear, a 6-foot-5 freshman from California, with 13 kills on offense and five blocks.
Familiar faces as well, with Cara Cresse with nine kills and five blocks and Nayellis Cabello with five blocks.
Not much time to relax with Texas on the road Wednesday.at 9 p.m. Watch for it on ESPN.
