Volleyball Beats Miami 3-1

Sunday, September 27

KFC YUM! CENTER

12:30 PM

University of Louisville

8-4, 2-0

MIAMI

7-5, 0-2

Louisville

September 27, 2015 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Fairs has 24 kills

By: Nancy Worley

Erin Fairs posted a season-high 24 kills on a .391 attack percentage and added five blocks to help lead the University of Louisville volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Miami in ACC volleyball action at the KFC Yum! Center.

"It was a huge win because we put so much emphasis on RPI and Miami came in with a great RPI. We just want to put ourselves in a position to host and advance in the postseason and a win like this is a huge step," said UofL head coach Anne Kordes.

The Cardinals improved to 8-4 (2-0 ACC) with the 22-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21 victory over the visiting Canes, who fell to 7-5 (0-2 ACC). UofL hit .264 but had 14 blocks and seven aces. Aniah Philo joined Fairs in double digits, posting a career-high 14 kills on a .345 attack percentage and adding 13 digs for her first double-double on the season. Tess Clark added a match-high eight blocks with her seven kills and setter Katie George dished out 51 assists. Molly Sauer had 17 digs.

"The back court defense allowed us to go one-on-one in the block knowing someone was there to cover. Miami fought back time and again and it would have been scary if we had to go to a fifth set because anything goes," said Kordes. "I need to give credit to Katie George who hurt her foot late in the match against Notre Dame and had to play through the pain."

Kelsie Groot led the Canes with 13 kills and Alexis Mourning added nine.

The Cardinals surged out to a 7-3 lead in the first set behind a pair of kills from Philo and Janelle Jenkins before the Hurricanes responded with a 12-6 run to take a 15-13 lead at the media timeout. Out of the timeout, Maggie DeJong smashed a kill but a Canes block and an attack error forced the Cardinals to burn their first timeout of the set with the Canes up 17-14. A couple kills and a block by Fairs knotted the score at 18 but the Canes went on a 4-1 run forcing the Cards to burn their final timeout. Out of the timeout, a pair of Philo kills brought the Cards within one. Two Cardinal errors put the Canes at set point before a block by DeJong and Jenkins forced a Canes timeout. A kill by Canes' Kelsie Groot gave the Canes a 25-22 first set victory. The Cards hit .158 compared to Miami's .216 but the Cards were plagued with 10 attack errors.

In the second set, Louisville took an 8-6 lead before a pair of kills by Fairs and an ace by Philo put the Cards up 11-6 and forced the Canes to burn their first timeout of the set. The Cards continued the pressure with a 5-0 run to push the lead to 16-7with a monster kill by Jenkins forcing the Canes to burn their last timeout. Miami responded with a 5-2 run of their own forcing Kordes to call a timeout to get everything back on track. The Canes pulled within four but kills by Philo and Fairs gave the Cards some breathing room at 21-15. Miami pulled within three with a 4-1 run forcing Kordes to use her last timeout with the Cards up 22-19. A couple of Miami errors put the Cards at match point before a Fairs kill gave Louisville a 25-19 second set win to go into the break tied at one. Louisville hit .273 and forced the Canes to hit .139 and hit eight errors.

After the break, the Cardinals surged out to a 5-1 lead before Miami responded with a 5-1 run of their own to knot the score at 6-6. A DeJong kill and two Miami attack errors put the Cards up three before a block by George and DeJong forced the Canes to use their first timeout of the set. After a timeout, the Cards strung together a quick 4-0 run with a Lyndsay Palmer ace followed by a trio of kills by Fairs, the latter forcing the crowd to rise to its feet and force the Canes to burn their last timeout of the set. The Cardinals continued their attack and cruised to a 25-15 set win. The Cards hit a scorching .458 and were led by Fairs' six kills in the set. Miami was held to a .042 attack percentage in the set.

The two teams traded points to start off the fourth set before a dump by George and a pair of aces by Jenkins put the Cardinals up 8-4 early on. The Canes hung around and pulled within three, 16-13, after a kill by Mourning and a block forced a Cardinals timeout. Out of the timeout, the Canes continued their comeback with a 5-1 run to take an 18-17 lead. Louisville put together a mini 3-0 run with a duo of kills from Fairs to regain the lead at 21-20. After a Canes kill tied the score at 21, a pair of kills by Fairs sandwiched a pair of blocks to give the Cards a 25-21 set win.

The Cardinals continue their three-game home stand with matches against Syracuse on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Boston College on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center.