No. 1 Louisville is headed to the NCAA girls’s volleyball nationwide championship after a surprising four-set victory over No. 1 Pitt (21-25, 25-23, 29-27, 25-17). The Cardinals fought off a primary set defeat and later a number of set factors within the third set to outlast the Panthers.
Pitt got here out robust, taking the primary set 25-21 behind the dominant play of Olivia Babcock, who completed with a match-high 33 kills. The Panthers’ offense was firing early, hitting .373 within the opening set. Louisville responded in a back-and-forth second set, rallying from an early deficit to win 25-23 and stage the match.
The third set noticed Pitt surge forward, however Louisville’s Anna DeBeer delivered a clutch block to tie it at 23-23. The Cardinals stayed composed, taking the set 29-27. DeBeer’s all-around play and defensive presence shifted momentum in Louisville’s favor.
Louisville, which misplaced DeBeer to damage, remained in management within the fourth set to safe the match.
With the win, Louisville advances to its second nationwide title match in three years. The Cardinals will look to seize their first-ever championship after falling quick in 2022.
THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS ARE GOING TO THE NATTY 🐦
(1) @LouisvilleVB defeats (1) Pitt in 4 units to advance!#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/gY4JB3GMuC
— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 20, 2024
