No. 4 Cards Set To Face No. 8 SMU and No. 6 Pitt in ACC Clash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 4-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team will host two top-10 opponents inside L&N Federal Credit Union on Friday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 19. On Friday, the Cards will face off against No. 8 SMU at 7 p.m., before welcoming No. 6 Pittsburgh on Sunday at 1 p.m. The match against Pitt will be broadcast on ESPN.

UofL is coming off a 2-0 weekend of Atlantic Coast Conference play, sweeping Virginia Tech on Friday and defeating Virginia 3-1 on Sunday. Against the Hokies, Louisville matched a season-high 10 service aces, with three each coming from setter Nayelis Cabello, setter/libero Hannah Kenny and libero Kamden Schrand, and outside hitter Ava Utterback serving the last ace. Kenny served three additional aces versus the Cavaliers during Sunday's match.

Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear and middle blocker Cara Cresse both recorded new career-highs in kills against UVA. Blackshear knocked down 20 kills on 37 attacks, and Cresse posted 16 kills on 28 attacks. Blackshear was named the ACC Freshman of the Week on Oct. 13 for her performances versus Virginia Tech and Virginia. In the match against the Hokies, she knocked down 10 kills and stuffed five blocks. Outside hitters Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen both added to their list of double-doubles as Chicoine tabbed 13 kills and 16 digs, while Petersen added 14 kills and 13 digs.

Louisville is 3-0 all-time against SMU, winning 3-1 in Dallas in 2024. The matchup of the Cards and the Panthers will be a rematch of the 2024 National Semifinal game, in which UofL prevailed 3-1. Seven players on the AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watchlist will play in L&N Arena this weekend, including the reigning player of the year, Pittsburgh right side Olivia Babcock. Joining Babcock is Panther middle blocker Bre Kelley. From SMU, the Mustangs have opposite hitter Malaya Jones, right side Jadyn Livings and middle blocker Favor Anyanwu. Louisville adds Chicoine and Cresse to the list.

Quick Peek at the Cards

Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear was named the ACC Freshman of the Week on Oct. 13 following her performances against Virginia Tech and Virginia. Blackshear totaled 30 kills on the weekend, including 20 against UVA, and added six blocks.
Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine became the 27th Cardinal to reach 1,000 career kills on Oct. 10 against Virginia Tech. Chicoine brought 841 kills with her from two years at Purdue and has 173 so far this season.
Setter Nayelis Cabello and middle blocker Cara Cresse were named the ACC Setter and the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 6, for their performances against Cal and former No. 4 Stanford.
Middle blocker Cara Cresse reached 400 career blocks on Sept. 26. She now sits at 421 total blocks, taking over 10th in program history.
Louisville was ranked No. 4 in the NCAA RPI rankings that came out on Oct. 2, posting the fourth most difficult schedule in NCAA Volleyball.
Outside hitters Payton Petersen and Chloe Chicoine were two of the top receivers in Week 4. Petersen is third with a grade of 2.50 and Chicoine rounds out the Top 10 with a 2.33 grade, rated on a three-point scale.
Outside hitter Payton Petersen and middle blocker Hannah Sherman both set new career highs in blocks against Kentucky. Petersen stuffed five and Sherman added 11 of the team total 18.5 blocks.
Middle blocker Cara Cresse was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 for her performances against No. 2 Texas and at the Bluejay Invitational. Through four matches, Cresse posted 28 blocks and 49 kills and took home Bluejay Invitational MVP honors.
Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear and outside hitter Payton Petersen were named to the All-Bluejay Invitational Team after combining for 71 kills, 16 blocks and 35 digs.
With a 3-1 win, Louisville handed Creighton its first home loss since 2022.
Middle blocker Cara Cresse matched her career-high with 14 blocks against No. 2 Texas. Outside hitters Chloe Chicoine (13 kills/14 digs) and Payton Petersen (18 kills/10 digs) both posted double-doubles against the Longhorns. Nayelis Cabello tallied a career-high seven blocks against UT.
Five different Cardinals posted new career highs against Illinois on Sept. 7. Outside hitters Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen along with middle blocker Kalyssa Blackshear set new highs in kills (17, 20 and 13), setter Nayelis Cabello extended her career high in assists (52) and libero Kamden Schrand added 28 digs, besting her previous high by 10.
Libero Kamden Schrand was voted MVP of the Cardinal Classic. Outside hitters Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Louisville was voted to No. 4 in the AVCA Coaches Poll released on Oct. 13. The Cards were also picked to finish second in the ACC in the 2025 Preseason Poll, taking home six first-place votes.
Setter Nayelis Cabello, outside hitter Chloe Chicoine and middle blocker Cara Cresse were selected to the ACC All-Preseason Team.
Chloe Chicoine and Cara Cresse were named to the 2025 AVCA Division I Player of the Year Award Watch List.
Nayelis Cabello and Cara Cresse were voted as team captains for the 2025 season. Chloe Chicoine joins them as a court captain.
UofL finished 2024 ranked No. 1 in the nation in blocks/set (3.09) and No. 10 in opponent hitting (.154). Cara Cresse was seventh in blocks/set (1.50) and Elena Scott was No. 71 in digs/set (4.40).
The win over No. 1 Pittsburgh in the National Semifinals was the program's highest-ever ranked opponent win. The Cards' previous record was the win over No. 2 Texas in 2019 to advance to the Austin Regional Final.
Cara Cresse was named to the 2024 AVCA All-Region Team, Reese Robins was All-Region Honorable Mention, and Nayelis Cabello was selected as Region Freshman of the Year.
Setter Nayelis Cabello was named the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year.

Quick Peek at SMU

SMU is led by head coach Sam Erger, who is in her fourth season with the Mustangs. Erger has a career record of 85-29 and led SMU to a 16-4 conference record during its first year in the ACC. The Mustangs are 12-4 in 2025 with a 4-2 bid in conference play.
The Mustangs are 21st in the nation and fourth in the conference in blocks per set (2.71), 10th nationally and third in the ACC in hitting percentage (.292) and first in the ACC in team total kills (861).
Opposite hitter Malaya Jones has posted four matches this season with over 20 kills. She is eighth in the conference in hitting percentage with a .328 clip. Jones was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1 and the AVCA Player of the Week on Aug. 31.
Setter Averi Carlson has been named the ACC Setter of the Week four times this season - Sept. 1, Sept. 8, Sept. 22 and Oct. 13. Carlson is third nationally and first in the ACC in assists per set with 11.16.
Outside hitter Jadyn Livings was chosen as the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8. Outside hitter Christ Wilburn was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8.

Quick Peek at Pittsburgh

Dan Fisher is at the helm of the Pitt program for the 13th season, owning a 333-72 record with the Panthers. Fisher was named the 2024 AVCA and ACC Coach of the Year. Pittsburgh has a 13-3 record this season along with a 4-2 record in conference play.
The Panthers are 14th in the nation and third in the ACC in blocks per set (2.80) and fifth nationally and first in the conference in hitting percentage (.301).
Right side Olivia Babcock is ninth in the country and second in the ACC in kills per set with 4.83. Babcock was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season - Aug. 25, Sept. 29 and Oct. 13.
Middle blockers Bre Kelley and Ryla Jones are first and thirteenth, respectively, in the ACC in blocks per set. Kelley posts 1.51 blocks/set, and Jones adds 1.18. Kelley was selected as the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8.
Setter Brooke Mosher was named ACC Setter of the Week on Aug. 25 and Sept. 29. Mosher is in her first season with the Panthers as a transfer from Illinois.

University of Louisville Athletics

No. 4 Cards Set To Face No. 8 SMU and No. 6 Pitt in ACC Clash

Players Mentioned

Kalyssa Blackshear

Nayelis Cabello

Chloe Chicoine

Cara Cresse

Hannah Kenny

Payton Petersen

Reese Robins

Kamden Schrand

Elena Scott

Hannah Sherman

Ava Utterback

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