Sunday, October 18
LOUISVILLE, KY
1:00 p.m.
University of Louisville
18-2,8-0ACC
3
vs
0
#23 North Carolina
12-4,7-1ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 27 | 22 | 23 | 0 |
| Louisville | 29 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics
No. 3 Cards Earn Three-Set Victory Against No. 23 North Carolina
October 18, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
The win marks Louisville’s seventh victory over a ranked opponent this season.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 3-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team defeated North Carolina (29-27, 25-22, 25-23) in three sets on Sunday afternoon at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena, earning their eighth straight consecutive win in conference play and their seventh win over a ranked opponent this season.
With the win, Louisville (18-2, 8-0 ACC) moves into sole possession of first place in the ACC as the league's only remaining unbeaten team in conference play.
"It's a great win at home – we needed every bit of L&N Arena," said Dan & Maria Durbin Head Coach Dan Meske. "I think after the Cal match a week ago, I kind of challenged the fanbase to bring some energy, and it was popping today. What a great match and just a great team win. UNC is clearly an excellent team. We were the last two undefeated teams in the ACC and you can see why. They block well, they attack well, they exposed some things for us that we need to get better at, but it was just our composure. That's the biggest word that comes to mind. It was just a very composed win by a group that's battled together a lot."
Louisville excelled on the defensive end of the floor, stuffing 14 blocks and totaling 59 digs to help shut down the North Carolina (12-4, 7-1 ACC) offense. Offensively, the Cards tallied 43 kills and served up a pair of aces to put the pressure on the Tar Heel defense.
Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine led the charge for Louisville's offense with 14 kills, her 17th match surpassing the double-digit kill mark this year. Outside hitter Chloe Meester added eight kills of her own while stuffing four blocks to help UofL on both sides of the ball.
Middle blocker Brooke Bultema powered the Cards' defense after stuffing eight blocks to lock down UNC's attack. The senior added seven kills and served up an ace to cap her balanced performance. Setter Nayelis Cabello continued her all-around dominance, dishing out 32 assists to orchestrate UofL's offense. The junior contributed defensively with six blocks and 11 digs to close out her stellar outing.
SET 1
The teams battled for the first 22 points of the match, with neither squad earning more than a two-point lead and the Cards holding the slight 12-10 edge. The teams continued to trade swings heading into the media timeout as UofL maintained its advantage at 15-12. North Carolina fought back to tie up the score at 17, then the squads played even the next 10 points to stay neck-and-neck at 22 apiece, forcing a Louisville timeout. Bultema served up an ace to earn set point for the Cardinals at 24-22, but the Tar Heels answered with a pair of points to tie up the set once again at 24. The squads headed to extra points and continued to trade blows with the set even at 27, but a kill by Chicoine and tandem block by Cabello and Bultema secured UofL the hard-fought 29-27 win.
SET 2
Kalyssa Blackshear opened the second with a kill as UofL scored the first two of the set, but UNC answered to tie up the score at 3. The back-and-forth affair continued the next 20 points as the teams played even at 13 apiece. A pair of blocks by Bultema gave Louisville the slight 15-13 edge heading into the media timeout. The Tar Heels scored three of the next four to tie up the set at 16, but a kill and a block by Blackshear powered a quick 4-1 run to give UofL the 20-17 lead. North Carolina scored a pair to come within one at 20-19, but the Cards answered as back-to-back kills by Bultema earned Louisville the 25-22 victory. The Cardinals' offense found some rhythm in the second, hitting .310 with 16 kills to put pressure on UNC's defense.
SET 3
A kill by Chicoine got UofL on the board first, but the Tar Heels fired off three straight to earn the narrow 3-1 edge early in the third. The Cards answered with an 11-5 run that featured a pair of blocks by both Addison Makun and Cabello to give UofL the 12-8 lead, the largest lead of the match for either team. UNC bounced back to tie up the set at 14, but a kill by Chicoine sent the Cardinals into the media break up by one. A quick 6-2 run by the Tar Heels gave them the 20-17 advantage, but the Cards soared back with a 4-1 run of their own to tie the score at 21. UNC scored but a pair of blocks and a kill by Bultema helped UofL notch the 25-23 win and earn the sweep. The Cards' defense stuffed six blocks and held North Carolina to just a .109 clip in the third.
UP NEXT
The Cards hit the road to the Sunshine State to take on Florida State on Friday, Oct. 23 in Tallahassee, Fla. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.
With the win, Louisville (18-2, 8-0 ACC) moves into sole possession of first place in the ACC as the league's only remaining unbeaten team in conference play.
"It's a great win at home – we needed every bit of L&N Arena," said Dan & Maria Durbin Head Coach Dan Meske. "I think after the Cal match a week ago, I kind of challenged the fanbase to bring some energy, and it was popping today. What a great match and just a great team win. UNC is clearly an excellent team. We were the last two undefeated teams in the ACC and you can see why. They block well, they attack well, they exposed some things for us that we need to get better at, but it was just our composure. That's the biggest word that comes to mind. It was just a very composed win by a group that's battled together a lot."
Louisville excelled on the defensive end of the floor, stuffing 14 blocks and totaling 59 digs to help shut down the North Carolina (12-4, 7-1 ACC) offense. Offensively, the Cards tallied 43 kills and served up a pair of aces to put the pressure on the Tar Heel defense.
Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine led the charge for Louisville's offense with 14 kills, her 17th match surpassing the double-digit kill mark this year. Outside hitter Chloe Meester added eight kills of her own while stuffing four blocks to help UofL on both sides of the ball.
Middle blocker Brooke Bultema powered the Cards' defense after stuffing eight blocks to lock down UNC's attack. The senior added seven kills and served up an ace to cap her balanced performance. Setter Nayelis Cabello continued her all-around dominance, dishing out 32 assists to orchestrate UofL's offense. The junior contributed defensively with six blocks and 11 digs to close out her stellar outing.
SET 1
The teams battled for the first 22 points of the match, with neither squad earning more than a two-point lead and the Cards holding the slight 12-10 edge. The teams continued to trade swings heading into the media timeout as UofL maintained its advantage at 15-12. North Carolina fought back to tie up the score at 17, then the squads played even the next 10 points to stay neck-and-neck at 22 apiece, forcing a Louisville timeout. Bultema served up an ace to earn set point for the Cardinals at 24-22, but the Tar Heels answered with a pair of points to tie up the set once again at 24. The squads headed to extra points and continued to trade blows with the set even at 27, but a kill by Chicoine and tandem block by Cabello and Bultema secured UofL the hard-fought 29-27 win.
SET 2
Kalyssa Blackshear opened the second with a kill as UofL scored the first two of the set, but UNC answered to tie up the score at 3. The back-and-forth affair continued the next 20 points as the teams played even at 13 apiece. A pair of blocks by Bultema gave Louisville the slight 15-13 edge heading into the media timeout. The Tar Heels scored three of the next four to tie up the set at 16, but a kill and a block by Blackshear powered a quick 4-1 run to give UofL the 20-17 lead. North Carolina scored a pair to come within one at 20-19, but the Cards answered as back-to-back kills by Bultema earned Louisville the 25-22 victory. The Cardinals' offense found some rhythm in the second, hitting .310 with 16 kills to put pressure on UNC's defense.
SET 3
A kill by Chicoine got UofL on the board first, but the Tar Heels fired off three straight to earn the narrow 3-1 edge early in the third. The Cards answered with an 11-5 run that featured a pair of blocks by both Addison Makun and Cabello to give UofL the 12-8 lead, the largest lead of the match for either team. UNC bounced back to tie up the set at 14, but a kill by Chicoine sent the Cardinals into the media break up by one. A quick 6-2 run by the Tar Heels gave them the 20-17 advantage, but the Cards soared back with a 4-1 run of their own to tie the score at 21. UNC scored but a pair of blocks and a kill by Bultema helped UofL notch the 25-23 win and earn the sweep. The Cards' defense stuffed six blocks and held North Carolina to just a .109 clip in the third.
UP NEXT
The Cards hit the road to the Sunshine State to take on Florida State on Friday, Oct. 23 in Tallahassee, Fla. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
UNC
LOU
Kills
48
43
Errors
23
18
Attempts
143
134
Hitting %
.175
.187
Points
59.0
59.0
Assists
47
40
Aces
0
2
Blocks
11
14
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
8
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Sunday, October 18
Sunday, October 18
Saturday, October 17
Saturday, October 17
