No. 3 Cardinals Ready to Host Battle of the Bluegrass

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team will welcome No. 6 Kentucky to the KFC Yum! Center for the Battle of the Bluegrass. First serve is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18.

The Cards are coming off a 3-1 week that began with a 3-2 loss to then-No. 2 Texas at the Shriners Children Showdown at the Net. The Cards followed that with three four set wins over No. 18 Creighton, Northern Iowa and Rice at the Bluejay Invitational. Coach Dan Meske dubbed the five matches in seven days (adding in the 3-1 win over Illinois 9/7) "The September Surge."

Middle blocker Cara Cresse took home Bluejay Invitational MVP honors, setting and matching a career-high 14 kills against Creighton and Rice. Cresse also added 14 blocks across the three matches. For her performance at the Bluejay Invitational and against No. 2 Texas, Cresse was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15. Middle blocker Kalyssa Blackshear and outside hitter Payton Petersen were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Blackshear posted 33 kills and 10 blocks on the weekend, while Petersen combined for 38 kills and 33 digs.

This year's Battle of the Bluegrass will be a top-10 matchup with the Cats coming in at No. 6 in the AVCA poll and the Cards back to No. 3. In 2024, UofL took down UK in four sets in Historic Memorial Coliseum. Louisville is on a four-year winning streak against Kentucky, dating back to 2021. Prior to that, the Cats were on a seven-year win streak over the Cards. UofL's 2021 win was the first time both teams were ranked within the Top 10 when they played. When UK last came to Louisville to play in the Yum! Center in 2023, 12,760 fans came out to watch the matchup.

A Peek at the Cards

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.
Middle blocker 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.
wWith a 3-1 win, Louisville handed Creighton its first home loss since 2022.
Against the Wildcats, Chloe Chicoine will face off against her former Purdue teammatse, outside hitter Eva Hudson and Lizzy Carr.
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 Sept. 8. 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.
The Cardinals finished 2024 as the 2nd-ranked team in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
An NCAA record 21,860 fans attended the National Championship in the KFC Yum! Center.
An NCAA record 21,726 fans watched the National Semifinal matches in the KFC Yum! Center.
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).
Outside hitters Charitie Luper and Sofia Maldonado Diaz finished their careers being named to the NCAA All-Final Four team following their performances against Pitt and Penn State.
The win over No. 1 Pittsburgh 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.
Both of Louisville's NCAA Finals appearances have come after wins over Pitt. In 2022, the Cards advanced following a five-set victory.
Libero Elena Scott was named a First Team All-American by the AVCA on Dec. 18. Outside hitter Anna DeBeer was added on the Second Team, while outside hitter Charitie Luper and middle blocker Cara Cresse received honorable mentions.
Nayelis Cabello, who was selected as Region Freshman of the Year, earned up AVCA All-Region Honors in 2024. Cara Cresse was named to the All-Region Team and Reese Robins was All-Region Honorable Mention.
Setter Nayelis Cabello was named the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year and libero Elena Scott was selected as ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Scott, Anna DeBeer, and Charitie Luper were named as First Team All-ACC players for the second consecutive year. Cara Cresse was again selected to the Second Team All-ACC.
Setter Nayelis Cabello was named ACC Freshman of the Week six times in 2024. Cabello had the most ACC weekly honors of any player in any category last year.

Quick Peek at Kentucky

Craig Skinner is in his 21st year as the head coach of the Wildcats with an all-time record of 473-157. Skinner was named SEC Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 2024.
Kentucky finished 2024 with a 23-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance. UK had an 14-2 bid in conference play.
Outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was named SEC Player of the Year in 2024. DeLeye already has 117 kills on the season and hit her 1,000th career kill against Pitt on Sept. 10. She was also named to the AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watchlist.
Joining DeLeye on the Player of the Year Watchlist is outside hitter Eva Hudson. Hudson joined the Cats from Purdue, where she played with Louisville pin hitter Chloe Chicoine.
Kentucky is 5-2 in 2025 with its only losses coming against No. 1 Nebraska in five sets and a three-set sweep at the hands of Pitt.

Cresse Posts Career Week
Middle blocker Cara Cresse was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 and the Most Valuable Player of the Bluejay Invitational. Against No. 2 Texas, Cresse matched her career high with 14 blocks before stuffing 14 more through three games at the Bluejay Invitational. In the matches against No. 18 Creighton and Rice, she set and matched a new career high in kills with 14.

Cresse, Blackshear and Petersen Voted All-Bluejay Invitational Team
For their performances against No. 18 Creighton, Northern Iowa and Rice, middle blocker Kalyssa Blackshear and outside hitter Payton Petersen were voted to the All-Tournament Team. Middle blocker Cara Cresse was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Blackshear posted 33 kills and 10 blocks on the weekend while Petersen combined for 38 kills and 33 digs.

Cards Hand Bluejays First Home Loss Since 2022
With the 3-1 win over No. 18 Creighton on Sept. 12, Louisville became the first team in over two years to beat the Bluejays on their own turf. Prior to that, CU had won 34 straight sets at home and 47 straight after winning the first set.

UofL Back to Third in New AVCA Poll
The Cards were voted to No. 3 in the AVCA Coaches' Poll that was released on Sept. 15.

Cards Stand at 87 Straight Weeks in AVCA National Rankings
Including all of 2024, Louisville has been ranked in the AVCA poll 87 consecutive weeks, dating back to 12/23/2019.

Schrand Voted MVP of Cardinal Classic
Libero Kamden Schrand was voted Most Valuable Player at the Cardinal Classic after logging 47 digs and three aces over the weekend. Outside hitters Payton Petersen and Chloe Chicoine were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances.

Cards Voted Fourth in AVCA Preseason Poll
Louisville was voted No. 4 in the American Volleyball Association's 2025 Preseason Poll, released on Aug. 6. Nebraska tops the poll, with 2024 champion Penn State at No. 2, ACC rival Pitt at No. 3, and Texas at No. 5 after the Cards. UofL finished 2024 ranked at No. 2 after advancing to their second-ever National Championship appearance.

Programs With The Most Wins Since Fall 2021*
1. 130 Pittsburgh
2. 127 Louisville
3. 126 Nebraska
4. 124 Creighton
5. 121 Western Kentucky
6. 120 Wisconsin
7. 112 Dayton
8. 10 FGCU
*through Sept. 14, 2025

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Players Mentioned

Kalyssa Blackshear

Nayelis Cabello

Chloe Chicoine

Cara Cresse

Anna DeBeer

Charitie Luper

Sofia Maldonado Diaz

Payton Petersen

Reese Robins

Kamden Schrand

Elena Scott

University of Louisville Athletics