University of Louisville
TENNESSEE <i> (Toga Party)</i>
No. 6-ranked Volleyball Outlasts Volunteers 3-2
September 28, 2005 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 28, 2005
Senior Lena Ustymenko had 24 kills and three aces to lead the No. 6-ranked University of Louisville volleyball game to a 3-2 win over visiting Tennessee in Cardinals Arena Wednesday night.
The 30-19, 27-30, 30-27, 23-30, 15-13 win pushed U of L to a 12-0 record and avenged its only regular season loss of a year ago in Knoxville. Tennessee now posts a 7-5 record.
U of L, in its second five-game match of the season, barely outhit the Vols with a .204 percentage to UT's .197. The Cardinals had four hitters in double digit kills with Jennifer Hoffman adding 17, Ana Yartseva pitching in 12 and Stephanie Marsh with 10. The Cardinals managed to outblock the Vols 10.5 to 9.5 and recorded five aces. UT committed 11 service errors.
"This was a nerve-wracking game," said U of L head coach Leonid Yelin. "We threw everything we could at them and managed to escape with the win."
In the first game, after managing to tie at 10, U of L went on a 9-3 run. Ustymenko had three aces in the first set alone and the Cardinals outhit UT .311 to .128. Ustymenko had seven kills on 14 attacks with no hitting errors to lead U of L.
In a tight second game, neither team could gain the beachhead. Tennessee took the lead for good at 17-16 on a kill by Kristen Andre. The Vols built the lead to four at 22018 and forced a U of L timeout. The Cardinals came within three at 25-22 on a kill by Elena Pilnikova and the volls took a timeout to chill the Cards. Tennessee got ot game point on a block by Josalyn Johnson and Andre. Louisville fended off game point when Yuliya Stoyanova had a rare miss. She recovered quickly to notch the winning point to even the game socre at two for the break.
In the third game, U of L built a seven point lead, going up 20-13 on two straight Ustymenko kills. U of L increased the lead to eight at 23-15 on a Stephanie Marsh ace. Tennessee clawed its way back to within three at 24-21 on a kill by Stoyanova. Yelin called time out and the Cardinals responded by getting to game point at 29-25 on a Hoffman kill and ended the comeback.
In the fourth game, UT used a 9-3 run in the late going to even the game count at two. U of L hit .111 to UT's .256 to ake the match into the fifth game. U of L had to use a three point run after trailing 8-5 to tie and then slowly chipped away at the Tennessee defense. Tied at 13, Stephanie Marsh smacked two straight kills to take the match.
UT was led by Stoyanova's 225 kills and five blocks.
The Cardinals continue Big East action this weekend at Villanova Oct. 1 and at Rutgers Oct. 2.
