The No. 7 Louisville volleyball program is heading into the final stretch of the regular season, preparing to embark on their last Atlantic Coast Conference road weekend of the year to face Georgia Tech and Clemson.
The Cardinals (22-4, 14-2 ACC) will first travel to Atlanta to square off against the Yellow Jackets on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. EST on ACCNX. They will then head to Clemson, S.C. to wrap up the weekend against the Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1:00 p.m. EST on the ACC Network.
Louisville enters the weekend with significant momentum following a 2-0 homestand against the Florida schools. UofL defeated Florida State in four sets last Thursday, followed by an impressive reverse sweep of No. 14 Miami on Sunday afternoon.
Middle blocker Cara Cresse was a force at the net during the homestand, earning ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. She tallied 16 total blocks—including four solo stuffs—and added 23 kills across the two matches.
The Cardinals also saw a career-best performance from outside hitter Payton Petersen, who logged a career-high 24 kills against the Hurricanes. She posted double-doubles in both matches, adding 13 kills against FSU and recording 10 digs in each contest.
About The Opponents
Georgia Tech is led by 12th-year head coach Michelle Collier, who holds a 233-127 record with the program. The Yellow Jackets feature a strong freshman presence, with outside hitter Anna Fiedorowicz recently named ACC Freshman of the Week. In the middle, Bianca Garibaldi and DeAndra Pierce are efficiently attacking the net, ranking second (.417) and third (.394) in the ACC in hitting percentage, respectively.
Clemson, led by fifth-year head coach Jackie Simpson Kirr, relies heavily on their defensive backcourt. Libero McKenna Gildon ranks fifth in the conference with 3.86 digs per set. Offensively, middle hitter Kate Hansen recently eclipsed the 200-kill mark for the season and is hitting .329, while setter Katherine Sandt orchestrates the offense with 9.68 assists per set.
Game Notes
- Rankings and RPI: Louisville checked in at No. 6 in the NCAA DI Committee rankings (Oct. 19) and holds the No. 9 spot in the NCAA RPI as of Nov. 17.
- Milestone Watch: Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine recently became the 27th Cardinal to join the 1,000-kill club. She currently sits 22nd on UofL’s all-time list with 1,142 kills. Cara Cresse has also moved up the record books, currently sitting eighth in program history with 477 total blocks.
- Weekly Honors: The Cardinals have been a fixture in the ACC weekly awards this season. Beyond Cresse’s recent defensive nod, freshman opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear and setter Nayelis Cabello have both taken home honors three times this season.
- Selection Show: The bracket for the 2025 National Championship will be revealed on Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.
