LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Coming off its first loss of the season — a gut-punch five-setter after reaching match point at No. 2 Texas just two nights before — Louisville might’ve showed a touch of a hangover in its opening frame Friday night in a hostile environment at Creighton.
But the Cardinals regrouped, responded, and reminded everyone why they’re still one of the nation’s elite.
Led by outside hitter Payton Petersen’s 18 kills and 9 digs, and a career-high 17 digs from junior transfer Chloe Chicoine, No. 4 Louisville outlasted No. 18 Creighton 19-25, 31-29, 25-22, 25-19 in the opener of the Bluejay Invitational at D.J. Sokol Arena.
It wasn’t clean — Louisville committed nine service errors and was out-blocked 10-6 — but it was a confident, hard-earned win in a tough gym just 48 hours after watching a match point slip away in Austin.
And for Petersen, a Nebraska native playing in front of a partisan crowd and with her family — including twin sister Jayden, a player for Northern Iowa and mother Bobbi, the head coach at UNI  —  it had to feel like a homecoming worth savoring.
A wild second set swing
After dropping the first set and trailing 18-13 in the second, Louisville clawed back. Cara Cresse and Petersen sparked a surge, and the Cardinals eventually fended off four Creighton set points before closing out a wild 31-29 win on an ace by setter Nayelis Cabello.
That swing was the turning point.
Louisville hit .298 in the second set and carried that momentum into the third, erasing an early 11-5 deficit behind a balanced attack. Kalyssa Blackshear came alive late in the frame with a pair of clutch kills, and the Cardinals took control with a 6-2 run to pull ahead 2-1 in the match.
Team effort down the stretch
Cresse was dominant in the middle with 14 kills on .444 hitting, and Blackshear added 11 kills and timely scoring across the final three sets. Cabello steadied the offense with 42 assists and two aces, and Chicoine complemented her 11 kills with her defensive work in the back row.
Louisville finished with a .258 team hitting percentage, compared to Creighton’s .279, but made the biggest plays when it mattered most.
In the fourth set, Louisville used a mid-frame 8-2 run, including an ace from Molly Wilson and a kill from Chicoine, to create separation. Petersen and Blackshear sealed it late with a pair of kills as the Cards closed out the match 25-19.
What’s next
Louisville (5-1) returns to the court Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET against Northern Iowa — and yes, that’s the team coached by Payton Petersen’s mom and featuring her twin sister Jayden at libero. Expect a little extra emotion in that one.
Creighton (3-4), meanwhile, remains one of the most battle-tested teams in the country, already having played four Top 25 opponents.
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