Cardinals to Face Wright State in NCAA First Round at Home

The No. 5 University of Louisville volleyball team is set to make their 32nd appearance in the NCAA tournament. They will be hosting Wright State on November 1 at 7 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center. If the Cardinals win, they will face the winner of the Auburn vs. Western Michigan match.

The Louisville Cardinals have had a successful season, finishing second in the ACC race with a 24-4 overall record. They will be led on offense by senior Anna DeBeer, graduate Aiko Jones, and transfer Charitie Luper. DeBeer and Jones recently joined the 1,000+ career kill club, while Luper is coming off a career-high 24 kills against Pitt. The Cardinals will also have strong defensive presence with middle blockers Cara Cresse and Phekran Kong. Setter Elle Glock and libero Elena Scott complete the Cardinal starting lineup.

The NCAA tournament features 64 teams, with the top four seeds being Nebraska, Stanford, Wisconsin, and Pittsburgh. If the Cardinals advance, they will head to the Pittsburgh Regional.

The tournament will follow the bracketing principles, with teams being seeded nationally in pods of four and placed within four regions. The top seeds are given the opportunity to host, and the pairings are determined geographically. The regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final, which will be hosted by the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

Tickets for the First and Second Rounds at the KFC Yum! Center will go on sale tomorrow at 10 AM EST. Fans also have the opportunity to support the Louisville Volleyball program through the Cardinal Athletic Fund. Every $50 donation automatically enters fans into a drawing for an exclusive VIP experience at the upcoming matches.

Wright State, Louisville’s opponent in the First Round, had a successful season with a 21-10 overall record and a 15-3 record in the Horizon League. They recently swept Cleveland State in the semifinals and Green Bay in the championship of the Horizon League tournament. Wright State fell to Louisville earlier in the season in the Cardinal Classic. Head coach Travers Green has led the team to an 18-0 conference record and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Outside hitter Megan Alders and right-side hitter Callie Martin lead the team’s attack, while libero Jenny Wessling has recorded an impressive 5.26 digs per set. Middle blocker Aaliyah Byers leads the team with 114 blocks.

The Cardinals had a successful season in 2022, earning the No. 2 overall seed and making it to their second-straight Final Four appearance. They defeated ACC rival Pittsburgh in the semifinals before falling to top-seeded Texas in the NCAA Championships match. The Cardinals also had victories over No. 4 Baylor and No. 3 Oregon in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively. They had a dominant performance in the first and second rounds, defeating Samford and Purdue without dropping a set. The team’s success led to several accolades, with head coach Dani Busboom Kelly being voted ACC Coach of the Year, Claire Chaussee named ACC Player of the Year, Raquel Lazaro winning ACC Setter of the Year, and Elena Scott earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.