No. 4 Volleyball Falls to Pitt in Five

Sunday, October 19

LOUISVILLE, KY

1:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

14-4,6-2ACC

Pittsburgh

15-3,7-1ACC

Pittsburgh

Louisville

October 19, 2025 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Erin Hughes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 4-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team fell in five sets to No. 6-ranked Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon inside L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. The Panthers won 25-20, 19-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-11.

Louisville had 57 kills, hit .270 with 5 aces amd 12 blocks. Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine led the Louisville offense with 16 kills, adding nine digs, two assists and one block. Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear hit a .375 clip with 14 kills on 32 attempts, while also tabbing five blocks, one dig and one assist. Setter Nayelis Cabello logged a career-high nine kills on the match and posted 41 assists, six digs, four blocks and two service aces. Outside hitter Payton Petersen, libero Kamden Schrand and setter Molly Wilson served one ace each. Schrand also dug 18 balls and recorded seven assists.

Pitt's offense was led by 41 kills on 78 attempts by Olivia Babcock. The right side hitter also served two aces and stuffed five blocks. Outside hitter Blaire Bayless was the other Panther with double-digit kills, totaling 11. Middle blocker Ryla Jones contributed five blocks and seven kills to the match. Pitt moves to 15-3 overall and is 7-1 in the ACC.

UofL (14-4, 6-2) will head back out on the road to face Duke and No. 21 North Carolina next weekend.

Set 1: Pittsburgh 25, Louisville 20
Pitt climbed out to a quick 6-1 lead as Louisville took its first timeout. Kills from Cabello and Chicoine got the Cards back within one at 10-9, before the Panthers went on a 4-0 run to extend their lead, 17-12. UofL grabbed two straight points, including a solo block by Cresse, to end the run and force Pitt to use its first timeout of the set. Out of the break, a pair of kills from Chicoine and a pair of attacking errors by the Panthers gave Louisville its first lead of the set at 18-17. The teams traded points until Pitt eventually went on a 6-0 run to win the set 25-20.

Set 2: Pittsburgh 19, Louisville 25
The Cards started the second set out on a 3-0 run and transformed it into a 9-4 lead after a kill from Chicoine and a block connection between Sherman and Blackshear. After the Panthers' first timeout, Chicoine knocked down two more kills to extend the lead 11-4 and force Pitt's last timeout of the set. UofL continued its scoring, pulling out to a 20-13 lead after kills from Sherman and Blackshear and another block from the pair. The Panthers answered with a quick 3-0 run to get within four and cause Louisville to burn its first timeout. The Cards got to set point after an error by Pitt, but the Panthers grabbed three straight points to put the score at 24-19. Cresse clinched the set 25-19 with a kill on the fourth set point. UofL's defense posted 16 of its 28 total digs in the set to go along with three blocks.

Set 3: Pittsburgh 20, Louisville 25
Blackshear, Sherman, Cresse and Schrand all recorded points for Louisville as the Cards went ahead 7-3 and Pitt took its first timeout. Points went back and forth, but UofL knocked down kills on big rallies to lead 16-11 and force another Pitt timeout. After trading blows, Cabello gave Louisville set point with a kill and an ace at 24-18. The Panthers held off the end of the set for two more points, but Sherman finished the set 25-20 with a kill.

Set 4: Pittsburgh 25, Louisville 17
The Cards used their first timeout down 9-5 and with Pitt on a 3-0 run to slow momentum. UofL used a kill and an attacking error to get back within two at 9-7, but the Panthers continued their scoring, going ahead 15-9 and forcing Louisville's second timeout. Pitt got to set point with a kill, and clinched the set 25-17 on another kill.

Set 5: Pittsburgh 15, Louisville 11
Despite grabbing the first two points of the set, Louisville went down 5-3 before burning its first timeout. Pitt extended its lead, pulling ahead 8-4 at the changeover. Cabello dropped in her ninth kill of the match and Wilson served an ace to pull the Cards to just a two point deficit at 10-8 and force the Panthers to use a timeout. Cabello and Sherman teamed up for a block, and the teams continued trading points until Pitt used a kill and a block to lead 13-10 at UofL's final timeout. Babcock's 41st kill got the Panthers to match point and a kill by Bre Kelley won the match 15-11.