The loudest eruption in the KFC Yum! Center came just around midnight as No. 6 Louisville took down No. 3 Wisconsin, 3-1 (18-25, 25-17, 26-24, 25-20), in front of the home crowd. That meant the Cardinals joined Nebraska in the win column at the AVCA First Serve Showcase on the first day of the 2024 women's volleyball season. Earlier in the doubleheader, No. 2 Nebraska took down No. 9 Kentucky.
After losing the first set, the Cardinals found their rhythm in the second, going on 6-0 run and taking advantage of the Badgers' service errors — Wisconsin finished with 17 service errors to Louisville's nine in the match. Louisville's trio of Charitie Luper, Sofi Maldonado Diaz and Anna DeBeer also finished in the double digits in kills with 11, 11 and 10, respectively. Cara Cresse added eight kills while hitting .400.
DeBeer came up clutch for Louisville throughout the contest, including the game-winning block.
A Night of Grit and Determination
This Louisville program might have slipped out of prime time, but it is nowhere past its prime. Coming back from a season in which they were a heartbreaking road loss away from a third straight Final Four, the Cardinals on Tuesday began their mission of finishing this season where they were starting it, at home in the KFC Yum! Center, site of this year’s Final Four.
The teams last met in the 2022 Final Four, when Louisville was No. 1 in the nation and unbeaten, but Wisconsin prevailed in five sets. Louisville showed Tuesday night a lot of the grit that its predecessors were known for. This has been Louisville volleyball more often than not for quite a few years under coach Dani Busboom Kelly. Tough. Unflappable. Talented.
“It just continues to cement that, you know, we're a great program,” Busboom Kelly said after the win. “We might not be a sweatshirt school or a team that can look back 25 years ago and say we were playing for national championships, but we're here now. We attract players that fit our style and that want to be great, and that's who we're going to continue to get in our program. It's pretty amazing what we've done in the last eight years, and I think we just keep setting the bar higher and higher.”
Key Moments in a Tense Battle
Down as many as four points, Wisconsin's back was against a wall early, trailing 8-4, in the fourth set. Louisville was getting everything they wanted and more.
That's when Wisconsin's Carter Booth had something to say about it with a kill assisted by Charlie Fuerbringer. From there, Booth's kill ignited the Badgers run, climbing back and taking the lead 15-14.
With both teams battling to be the first to 25, Louisville leads 21-20.
Even after Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield's successful challenge and two set points, Louisville outlasted the Badgers to take the third set (26-24), to go up 2-1. Louisville leaned on multiple players down the stretch, including major plays from Anna DeBeer and Cara Cresse. Once again, Wisconsin struggled with service errors, tallying five to Louisville's one.
With Set 3 turning into a bigger back-and-forth battle than Set 2, it was clear that every point mattered. Knowing this, Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield took a risk and it paid off, issuing and winning his first challenge to tie Wisconsin and Louisville up at 21.
After multiple timeouts, both teams are knotted up at 24 a piece.
Set 2 looked like it was a head-banger. Both teams were neck-and-neck at the 15-point mark.
After the break, though, it was all Louisville, outscoring Wisconsin 10-2 to even the match at a set apiece. A huge reason behind the Cardinals advantage was Wisconsin's struggles at serving. The Badgers couldn't find their rhythm with eight service errors to Louisville's three.
Louisville's middle Cara Cresse helped send the Cardinals into a media timeout after blocking Anna Smrek's attack — a much-needed break between two teams that had 13 ties entering the timeout.
The Cardinals and Cresse continued the momentum, though, going on a six-point run and taking control of the set.
Louisville now inches closer to tying the match up at 1-1.
A Battle of Mental Toughness
Louisville won the final five points of the fourth set to put the match away – and that was after needing time for DeBeer and Luper to work through some leg cramps in the final set. They're just scrappy. They play hard,” Sheffield said. “And when you think scrappy, you think underdogs. These guys aren't underdogs. They're legitimate title containers, year in and year out. And their staff has been together. They've done a great job recruiting and coaching their kids up. And there's a tough mindedness about it. I mean, you've got two players down there that are needing medical attention, and then, you know, miraculously, they pop back up and they're out there grinding. And that's not a crack, that's deep respect, because, when you start cramping up, that's really hard. And both those, you looked at them and they were like, we're fine, let's keep grinding. It's great program, great coaches, tough minded kids, great fan base.”
DeBeer said this team’s mental toughness is on a par with other Louisville teams she has been a part of.
“That's just kind of how Louisville volleyball has worked,” she said. “I mean, we always, obviously aren't the most physical team. Yeah, we have some players, but we really work on the grit and the mental toughness. Because if we can come together as a team, and I think volleyball is a really big team sport, and if you have that culture, and that's kind of what we thrive upon, is that culture and that we call ourselves a unit, I think if we have that it’s just going to help us really push finish close games.”
A New Season Begins
The Badgers are back in action for the start of the season on Tuesday. The Wisconsin Badgers are set to kick off their season on Tuesday at the KFC Yum! Center against the Louisville Cardinals, with first serve set for 8:30 P.M. Wisconsin, fresh off another strong season that ended with a 3-1 loss to the Texas Longhorns in the NCAA Semifinals last season, will look to start the year strong on National Television against an ACC opponent in Louisville. They return star outside hitter Sarah Franklin to the fold, while key pieces Carter Booth, Anna Smrek, and CC Crawford, among others, are all back for another season for the Badgers. Last week, the Badgers hosted an exhibition match against Bradley, winning 3-0 to get their season kicked off at the UW Field House. Now, they’ll officially have their season opener on Tuesday against Louisville, hoping to get off on the right foot before heading to Fiserv Forum for a series against Texas and Stanford over the weekend. Join us in the comments section below as our game thread for tonight’s match is now open!
Looking Ahead: What's Next for Both Teams?
The Cardinals and Badgers both have a busy schedule ahead, with a mix of tough opponents and exciting matchups. Louisville will face off against No. 15 Tennessee on Sunday in a rematch from last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals will look to continue their strong start to the season and secure another victory at the KFC Yum! Center. Wisconsin will also face off against a top-ranked opponent on Sunday, taking on No. 1 Texas in a rematch from last year’s NCAA Semifinals. The Badgers will look to bounce back from their opening night loss and get a win against a strong Longhorns team. With both teams on the road, it'll be interesting to see how they handle the challenges of their upcoming schedules and whether they can maintain their momentum from the start of the season. The first few weeks of the season are always important for setting the tone for the rest of the year, and both Louisville and Wisconsin have a lot to prove. The Cardinals will look to build on their early momentum and continue to showcase their resilience and grit, while the Badgers will look to get back on track and show why they are considered one of the top teams in the country. It's going to be a fun and exciting season for both teams, and fans will be eager to see how they perform against their upcoming opponents. It's a season of new beginnings, with plenty of opportunities for both teams to make their mark on the college volleyball scene.
