Pitt Volleyball continues Louisville domination

ByCharlie Springer

November 29, 2024
Coach Dani Busboom-Kelly exhorts her players to take the fight to Pittsburgh. Maybe next time. (Mike DeZarn photo).
Louisville captain Anna DeBeer gets an explanation of a controversial call (Mike DeZarn photo).

Another huge crowd of 12, 510 on hand at the KFC Yum! Center, the die-hards eager to witness some history.

The stage was set, could have been a special night for the University of Louisville volleyball team. Problem was Pittsburgh has one of the best teams ever in the sport, eager to defend its No. 1 ranking. The magic for UofL is going to have to wait for the NCAA tournament  to make this an historical and magical season.

Just too much talent and power on the Pittsburgh side of this net this night. Super sophomore Olivia Babcock, aka Super Woman, had 23 kills to lead Pittsburgh to a 3-1 win over Louisville by scores of 25-23, 18-25, 25-20 and 25-16.  Yes, she’s going to be around for two more years, like forever and ever.

Outside hitter Anna DeBeer led the Cardinals offense with 14 kills, nine digs, three aces, and a solo block to hit .229 on the night. Highlights were few and far between otherwise.

With the victory, the Panthers (28-1, 18-1) secured at least a share of the 2024 ACC Championship with UofL. Wednesday’s victory also marked Pitt’s fourth-straight against the Cardinals (25-4, 17-2), dating back to last season.

May not be the last time they meet this year. Much more at stake as tournament time nears. The Panthers just keep providing the Cardinals with plenty of incentive and motivation.

Organized chaos but Anna DeBeer is not going to deviate from her leadership role (Mke DeZarn photo).
A University of Louisville fan provides some active assistance to the officiating crew (Mike DeZarn photo).

ByCharlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former sportswriter with the Courier-Journal & Louisville Times, former Managing Editor with Louisville Magazine, Communications Manager at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. and a corporate affairs manager with CSWorks, LLC ... as well as a longtime fan of the University of Louisville and a Master's degree holder.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.