Cards Fall to No. 6 Wisconsin

Saturday, August 22

Milwaukee, WI | Fiserv Forum

4:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

1-1,0-0ACC

#6 Wisconsin

1-1,0-0Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Wisconsin	25	25	25	3
Louisville	18	20	18	0

Kalyssa Blackshear kills the ball vs. Wisconsin at the AVCA First Serve.

Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics

August 22, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Sam Gercak

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The No. 7-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team took their first loss of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon, losing in straight sets (18-25, 20-25, 18-25) to No. 6 Wisconsin at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Cardinals conclude their time in Milwaukee at the AVCA First Serve with a 1-1 record after winning their season opening match against No. 8 Texas A&M in four sets on Friday night.

Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine and opposite Kalyssa Blackshear contributed 10 kills apiece to pace the Cardinals offensively, while Chicoine also chipped in nine digs. In just her second match in the libero jersey, Payton Petersen led the team with 16 digs to go with four assists.

Louisville finished the match with a .234 hitting percentage but allowed Wisconsin (1-1) to hit .327 for the match while also being aced eight times by the Badgers.

SET 1
In the first set, the two teams played to a 10-10 draw through the first 20 points, with Chicoine leading the Cardinals with three early kills. The Badgers would pull away with two separate 4-0 bursts sandwiched around a pair of Brooke Bultema kills to seize control of the set. Bultema put down four kills on six swings in the first set, but Wisconsin kept finding the floor, recording 19 kills on .500 hitting to open the match with a 25-18 win.

SET 2
Wisconsin opened up an early 5-2 lead in the second set, eventually bringing the score to 11-5 with four unanswered points to force a Louisville timeout. Out of the break, the Badgers continued to put pressure on the Cards, bringing their lead to as many as eight at 15-7. The Cardinals got within three after a block from Bultema and Nayelis Cabello, but the Badgers responded with three quick points and cruised to a 25-20 victory to take a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room.

SET 3
The Cardinals scored the first point out of the break, but the Badgers scored five straight points to gain separation and never looked back, keeping the Cardinals from getting closer than three for the duration of the set. The Cards did cut the lead down to 18-15 with a 3-0 run highlighted by a solo block from Bultema, but Wisconsin put their foot on the gas and coasted to a 25-18 win to secure the sweep.

UP NEXT
Louisville will now turn their attention to their home opener, where they will take on No. 16 Indiana on Friday, Aug. 28 at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the match will be streamed on ACCNX.

For the latest information on Louisville Volleyball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvillevb or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleVB.