Sofia Maldonado Diaz and Charitie Luper each recorded eight kills to lead the No. 4-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team to a dominant sweep of Northern Kentucky in the final match of the NKU Invitational on Sunday afternoon in Highland Heights, Ky. The Cardinals improved to 5-1 on the season with a 25-11, 25-9, 26-24 victory.
Louisville hit .314 as a team, registering 8.5 blocks and five aces. Alanna Bankston contributed eight kills and a block, while Hannah Sherman added five kills and six blocks. Freshman Payton Petersen hit an impressive .467 with seven kills and a block. Setter Nayelis Cabello orchestrated the offense with 33 assists, while libero Elena Scott recorded nine digs and two aces.
Northern Kentucky (2-4) struggled offensively, hitting just .039 as a team. Joy Banks led the Norse with six kills and one block.
The Cardinals will return home to host the Cardinal Invitational at the KFC Yum! Center next weekend, featuring matchups against Northern Iowa, Creighton, and Rice.
Set by Set Recap:
Set 1:
Louisville turned an 11-7 lead into a commanding advantage with a 10-2 run, going up 21-9. The Norse managed two more points before the Cardinals closed the set 25-11, with Alanna Bankston securing the final kill. UofL hit .324 in the set, with Charitie Luper and Hannah Sherman leading the way.
Set 2:
The Cardinals jumped out to a 12-7 lead and then went on a dominant 10-0 run, securing the set 25-8. Luper connected with Nayelis Cabello for set point, and Bankston finished with a kill. UofL hit .333 in the set, holding NKU to a negative hitting percentage (-.048) and taking a 2-0 lead into the break.
Set 3:
Louisville built a 16-10 lead in the third set, but NKU fought back, closing the gap to 16-14 behind strong serving from Joy Banks. NKU continued to push, reducing the Cardinals’ lead to 20-19. Despite a close finish, Louisville sealed the match with a 26-24 win after four match-point opportunities.
The Cardinals now look ahead to the Cardinal Invitational at the KFC Yum! Center, starting Friday.
