Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics
Payton Petersen Added to AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List
October 08, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
The junior joins Nayelis Cabello and Chloe Chicoine on the watch list for the top player in the country.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Louisville outside hitter/libero Payton Petersen has been added to the 2026 AVCA Division I National Player of the Year as one of 16 midseason additions to the list, as announced by the organization on Thursday.
The addition of Petersen gives the Cardinals three athletes on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List with the junior joining setter Nayelis Cabello and outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, who were two of 30 athletes included on the Preseason Watch List in late July.
After playing her first two seasons in Louisville as an outside hitter and earning Second Team All-ACC honors at the position in 2025, Petersen started the first 15 matches of the season at libero before moving back to outside hitter for the Cards' Oct. 3 sweep at Notre Dame.
The native of Dike, Iowa has tallied a team-leading 223 digs over the course of the season, with her 4.21 digs per set currently ranking third in the ACC and just outside the top 50 nationally.
Petersen has recorded double-digit digs in 11 matches this season, including a stretch of nine consecutive matches from Sept. 6 to Sept. 27. She has surpassed the 20-dig mark twice this season, recording 24 digs in the season-opening win over No. 8 Texas A&M on Aug. 21 before setting a career best with 28 digs on Sept. 9 against Missouri.
She notably earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Aug. 25 after a pair of stellar performances at the Jeep AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, Wis., where she recorded 40 digs (5.71 per set) in matches against No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 6 Wisconsin.
Petersen and the rest of the Cardinals return to the court tonight for an ACC matchup against California at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.
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Fans can follow Louisville Volleyball on Instagram, X or Facebook at @LouisvilleVB.
The addition of Petersen gives the Cardinals three athletes on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List with the junior joining setter Nayelis Cabello and outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, who were two of 30 athletes included on the Preseason Watch List in late July.
After playing her first two seasons in Louisville as an outside hitter and earning Second Team All-ACC honors at the position in 2025, Petersen started the first 15 matches of the season at libero before moving back to outside hitter for the Cards' Oct. 3 sweep at Notre Dame.
The native of Dike, Iowa has tallied a team-leading 223 digs over the course of the season, with her 4.21 digs per set currently ranking third in the ACC and just outside the top 50 nationally.
Petersen has recorded double-digit digs in 11 matches this season, including a stretch of nine consecutive matches from Sept. 6 to Sept. 27. She has surpassed the 20-dig mark twice this season, recording 24 digs in the season-opening win over No. 8 Texas A&M on Aug. 21 before setting a career best with 28 digs on Sept. 9 against Missouri.
She notably earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Aug. 25 after a pair of stellar performances at the Jeep AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, Wis., where she recorded 40 digs (5.71 per set) in matches against No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 6 Wisconsin.
Petersen and the rest of the Cardinals return to the court tonight for an ACC matchup against California at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE VOLLEYBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville Volleyball on Instagram, X or Facebook at @LouisvilleVB.
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/ Women's VolleyballFriday, October 09
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Thursday, October 01
