The University of Louisville volleyball team has already earned a special place in the hearts of the faithful fans who have followed them year in and year out. That fan base keeps getting larger with each new win.
This set of Cardinals, in fact, is going where no UofL volleyball team has gone before. They are poised to move into the No. 1 spot among the nation’s elite. But not without a scare against North Carolina on Sunday.
The Cardinals got off to a wobbly start at Chapel Hill, but quickly regained their composure to establish their dominance. They lost that first set 25-14 before storming back to win the next three 25-11, 25-18, 25-17. Improving to their record to 23-0 overall and 13-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Middle blocker Anna Stevenson had 10 kills and seven blocks, Anna DeBeer had 11 kills and three blocks. Libero Elena Scott had 12 digs and five aces. Tori Dilfer contributed 36 assists, nine digs and a block.
The University of Texas, which was No. 1 in last week’s vote, is 18-1 now, having lost 3-1 to Baylor over the weekend. UofL was already seeded No. 1 in the preliminary vote casting for NCAA tourney bracketing.
As the UofL women’s basketball team discovered last season, the pressure becomes even more intense when a team sits on top of the national polls. Volleyball next faces a formidable Georgia Tech team on Friday evening at the L&N Arena. The Yellow Jackets were ninth in last week’s national poll.
Pressure hasn’t bothered this team thus far. Hoping they thrive on it.