The Courier Journal

Louisville volleyball begins journey to Final Four with upset vs third-ranked Wisconsin

By Prince James Story, Louisville Courier Journal,

2 days ago

If they didn't know before Tuesday night, No. 6 Louisville volleyball and No. 9 Kentucky now understand the path to reach the Final Four in December at the KFC Yum! Center will be more of a marathon than a sprint.

The Cardinals defeated No. 3 Wisconsin, 18-25, 25-17, 26-24, 25-20, in the second match of the AVCA First Serve Showcase , which ended about midnight.

The Wildcats lost to No. 2 Nebraska, 21-25, 25-22, 15-25, 20-25, in the opening match Tuesday night.

The perennial powers ushered in the Division I season at the 18th annual AVCA First Serve Showcase. It was the first time the AVCA Showcase had been played since 2014, and it was Louisville's first appearance at the event. The Wildcats previously played in it in 2010.

The Cardinals used a team effort to earn their second win against the Badgers in program history. Their last victory against Wisconsin was in 1985.

Dani Busboom Kelly, now in her eighth season at Louisville, has propelled U of L to the upper echelon of the sport. The Cardinals have made two Final Four appearances and four Elite Eights, winning four ACC titles.

"I think it just continues to cement that we're a great program, and, you know, 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, and we attract players that fit our style and that want to be great," Busboom Kelly said. "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. It's pretty awesome."

ACC Player of the Year Anna DeBeer , an Assumption graduate, and Defensive Player of the Year Elena Scott , a Mercy Academy graduate, are eager to lead Louisville to its first NCAA championship in their hometown. The Final Four is scheduled to begin Dec. 19.

The Cardinals' journey began Tuesday night. Cara Cresse and Charitie Luper , who joined Scott and DeBeer on the preseason All-ACC team, helped set the tone against the Badgers.

Luper tied Sofia Maldonado Diaz for the team lead in kills (11). Cresse recorded eight kills and six blocks.

Busboom Kelly expects fans to support the Cardinals throughout the season.

"I expect our fans, you know, when we're at a more reasonable time, to be a little rowdier. But, you know, having people show up and stay that late is a big testament to the Cards Nation's belief in this team and wanting to stick around to watch it," Busboom Kelly said. "I'm very excited — for the future games."

The Cardinals were picked to finish third in the ACC preseason poll behind Pittsburgh and ACC newcomer Stanford.

Meantime, coach Craig Skinner is in his 20th season at Kentucky. He is the second-longest-tenured coach in the SEC behind Florida's Mary Wise .

With 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2020 NCAA championship, Skinner has turned the Wildcats into one of the nation's premier programs. One loss — especially to Nebraska — won't define the Wildcats.

"As a program, we're competing for SEC championships and national championships," Skinner said. "This year, you know, fortunately, we get the opportunity to play here the first match, and we all know that the national championship is in Louisville at the end of the year. ... So when you're in a program like Kentucky, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Louisville, those are expectations to be able to compete and to give yourself a chance to do that."

The Wildcats have won seven SEC titles in a row, including three shared titles with the Gators. Last year, Kentucky went 17-1 in the SEC and 21-8 overall.

Over the last seven years, Kentucky is 117-9 in conference play.

With the return of SEC Freshman of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye and two-time AVCA All-American Emma Grome , the Wildcats were picked to finish third in the SEC behind Florida and 2023 national champion Texas.