Louisville Beats Kentucky in Spring Match

Friday, April 18

LOUISVILLE, KY

6:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

University of Kentucky

April 18, 2025 | Women's Volleyball

Cards win 3-1

By: Erin Hughes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville volleyball team won the Battle of the Bluegrass with a 3-1 win over Kentucky Friday night in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.

The Cards finish the spring 4-0 after the 25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 25-14 win before a soldout crowd of 1,063..

Setter Nayelis Cabello tallied three blocks, six kills, 18 digs and 24 assists in the match. Libero Kamden Schrand dug 22 balls to lead the defense. Payton Petersen added eight kills and four blocks and Reese Robins knocked down eight kills of her own to go along with two blocks.

UofL honored senior setter Elle Glock before the match. Glock decided to forego her remaining eligibility and will graduate magna cum laude from Louisville in May.

Set 1: Louisville 25, Kentucky 17
Kentucky took the first point of the match before committing a service error to put Louisville on the board. Nayelis Cabello stuffed a solo block before the Wildcats got back on the board with a kill. After UK went up 3-2, Cabello dumped in a kill and served an ace to retake the lead. Hannah Sherman and Reese Robins connected for a block to put the Cards up 5-3. An attack error from UofL gave Kentucky another point, but Louisville went on a 4-0 run courtesy of a kill from Robins, a solo block from Payton Petersen and attack errors from the Wildcats. Down 9-4, UK took its first timeout of the set and got a point out of the break from a Cards attack error. Petersen grabbed two more kills and Kentucky added another error as UofL pulled out to a 12-5 lead. Points were traded as Petersen and Cara Cresse both knocked down a kill to put Louisville up 15-7 and force another Wildcat timeout. Out of the timeout, UK grabbed a point off of a service error by the Cards before Cabello and Chloe Chicoine each added kills to extend the UofL lead 17-8. The teams traded points as Chicoine and Robins both racked up kills and pulled Louisville ahead to a 22-14 lead. Kentucky went on a quick 3-0 run to fight back, but a kill from Cresse ended the run. An attack error from the Wildcats gave the Cards set point at 24-17, and Cabello sealed the set win 25-17 with a kill.

Set 2: Louisville 20, Kentucky 25
Chicoine took the first point for UofL on a kill, but UK answered with a kill of its own. Cabello tacked on her fourth kill of the day before Kentucky went on a 3-0 run to take its first lead at 5-2. Robins knocked down a kill and Hannah Sherman stuffed a solo block to end the run and put the score at 5-4. Points were traded as Petersen recorded a solo block, Chicoine added another kill and Cresse took a block and a kill. Louisville took the lead at 10-9 after an attack error from the Wildcats, before UK went on another 3-0 run. Kentucky eventually took a 15-11 lead to start the first timeout of the set. Out of the timeout, points bounced around and the Wildcats took a 20-14 lead as Louisville burned its first timeout. Cresse and Petersen both recorded kills out of the break before errors by the Cards saw UofL use its second timeout down 22-16. A service error from Kentucky gave Louisville another point before the Wildcats tacked on a kill. Chicoine knocked down another kill and Kamden Schrand served an ace to bring the Cards within four at 23-19. UK took set point at 24-19 and Chicoine tried to hold off Kentucky with a kill, but a kill from the Wildcats took the set 25-20.

Set 3: Louisville 25, Kentucky 16
UK grabbed the first point on a kill but a service error by Kentucky gave Louisville its first point. Petersen's first kill of the set put the Cards up 2-1 before the teams traded points. Robins recorded a solo block as Sherman, Cabello and Petersen each knocked down kills to keep Louisville in a tight lead at 11-10. The Wildcats added a kill, but the Cards responded with a 4-0 run that saw blocks from Sherman, Robins and Petersen along with another kill from Petersen. Up 15-11, UofL forced UK to use its first timeout of the set and Kentucky came out with a kill to end Louisville's run. Points continued to go back and forth with the Cards eventually pulling ahead 19-13 following kills from Robins and Petersen as well as blocks from Petersen, Sherman and Cabello. The Wildcats used up their second timeout, but grabbed a kill out of the break to lessen the deficit to five. Cresse and Cabello both stuffed solo blocks as Louisville went up 22-15. UK took its last point of the set on a kill before the Cards went on a 3-0 run to close out the set. A block from Cresse and Kalyssa Blackshear gave UofL set point at 24-16 before an ace from Ava Utterback clinched the set win at 25-16.

Set 4: Louisville 25, Kentucky 14
Kentucky knocked down a kill for the first point of the set before Sherman and Blackshear connected for a block to put Louisville on the board. Blackshear recorded a kill to put the Cards up 2-1 before the Wildcats tied it with a kill. Utterback added another kill and Cresse stuffed a solo block as UofL led 4-2. UK took two more points before Louisville went on a 4-0 run that was highlighted by a block and kill from Cabello, a block from Cresse and an ace by Hannah Kenny that gave the Cards an 8-4 lead. Kentucky went on a quick 3-0 run to bring it within one at 8-7. The teams traded points before UofL went up 12-9 after errors by the Wildcats and a kill from Robins. Out of its first timeout, UK knocked down a kill, but Louisville answered with a 3-0 run on a kill from Alanna Bankston, a block from Sherman and Blackshear and an ace from Chicoine. Errors from Kentucky helped the Cards to a 18-12 lead as the Wildcats burned their second timeout. Utterback added two kills to contribute to UofL's 5-0 run out of the timeout. Points bounced around as Bankston stuffed a solo block and Louisville got to match point after an error from UK. A kill from Bankston sealed the match and set at 25-14 with a kill.

Senior Day group shot for Elle