Cardinals Open Season Ranked at No. 13 in AVCA Poll
August 16, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
UofL is one of four ranked ACC Teams
The University of Louisville volleyball team makes its 2021 debut in the national ranking starting the season ranked No. 13 in the preseason AVCA Poll.
UofL returns its starting six but will only have to replace the libero, Alexis Hamilton, who held down the position for two seasons before graduating. UofL has three returning All-Americans in middle blocker Anna Stevenson, ACC Setter of the Year Tori Dilfer and ACC Freshman of the Year Anna DeBeer as well as Amaya Tillman, who was ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-ACC performer Aiko Jones as the starting core. The Cardinals were the best blocking team in the nation and return all middle blockers to the roster.Â
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"We have a ton of energy in the gym," said Coach Dani Busboom Kelly.  "We have a veteran team so we can start out strong and not have to go back and explain everything. We can go fast and with only two weeks before we start that is important. They did an awesome job this summer. They are in great shape. I feel good moving forward that we can progress at a pretty fast pace. That is the beauty of this group. You hope that it pays off in the pre-season. We need to get some big wins in the preseason, so we need to start off and everyone knows the drills and expectations, it makes it a lot easier to progress and get in better shape and everything that comes along with it.  Without our leadership, I don't think we would be in this position. Our players did a great job of taking summer seriously and making sure we were ready to go."
The University of Louisville volleyball fans will get a sneak preview of the 2021 season as the Cardinals host a Red and Black Scrimmage on Aug. 18 at 5:30 in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena on campus. The match is free to the public.
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UofL returns its starting six but will only have to replace the libero, Alexis Hamilton, who held down the position for two seasons before graduating. UofL has three returning All-Americans in middle blocker Anna Stevenson, ACC Setter of the Year Tori Dilfer and ACC Freshman of the Year Anna DeBeer as well as Amaya Tillman, who was ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-ACC performer Aiko Jones as the starting core. The Cardinals were the best blocking team in the nation and return all middle blockers to the roster.Â
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"We have a ton of energy in the gym," said Coach Dani Busboom Kelly.  "We have a veteran team so we can start out strong and not have to go back and explain everything. We can go fast and with only two weeks before we start that is important. They did an awesome job this summer. They are in great shape. I feel good moving forward that we can progress at a pretty fast pace. That is the beauty of this group. You hope that it pays off in the pre-season. We need to get some big wins in the preseason, so we need to start off and everyone knows the drills and expectations, it makes it a lot easier to progress and get in better shape and everything that comes along with it.  Without our leadership, I don't think we would be in this position. Our players did a great job of taking summer seriously and making sure we were ready to go."
The University of Louisville volleyball fans will get a sneak preview of the 2021 season as the Cardinals host a Red and Black Scrimmage on Aug. 18 at 5:30 in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena on campus. The match is free to the public.
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Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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