LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville volleyball made quick work of its NCAA Tournament opener Friday night, sweeping Loyola Chicago 25-17, 25-9, 25-12 to advance to Saturday’s second round.
The Cardinals imposed their size, balance and block from the opening serve and never let up, hitting .417 as a team and holding Loyola to a meager .011 attack percentage. It was a dominant performance in front of 1,181 fans at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
Louisville racked up 12 total team blocks, with Cara Cresse (9 kills, .667) and Hannah Sherman leading the way up front. Setter Nayelis Cabello distributed 31 assists while chipping in 6 digs, 3 blocks and a .600 hitting percentage herself. Head coach Dan Meske said the goal was four blocks per set, and they exceeded that.
“I thought we just did an excellent job of controlling what we can control,” Meske said. “We were just a great version of ourselves today.”
The Cards spread the wealth across the front row: Kalyssa Blackshear had 10 kills (.400, 5 blocks), Payton Patterson had nine kills and hit .533, and Chloe Chicoine hit .381 with nine kills.
Louisville never trailed after 4-4 in the opening set. The second set was a blitz. The Cards went on a 10-2 run to take control, aided by service aces from Cresse and Petersen. Louisville finished with five aces and only nine attack errors total
Petersen said the Cardinals expected Loyola to mix in more “junk” plays but credited her teammates’ discipline in executing the scouting report.
“I think our blockers were really disciplined,” Petersen said. “Cara and Sherman are huge blockers, they’re always closing, and it makes it easy.”
Meske credited recent battles against high-end ACC opponents with preparing his team for postseason pressure. He noted improved out-of-system play and strong first contacts as keys.
“Our last two matches were against potential Final Four teams. We didn’t get wins, but we learned a lot — and we applied it,” Meske said
Cresse, who finished 9-for-12 with two aces and four blocks, also showed her range in the back row, prompting Meske to praise her “pro-ready” all-around game.
Louisville advances to face Marquette on Saturday night, with less than 24 hours turnaround. The Golden Eagles swept Western Kentucky earlier Friday. Meske called Marquette “very talented” and praised their offense and physicality at the pins.
“It’s such a quick turnaround. You’ve got to believe your team is ready to be resilient and adjust,” he said.
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