No. 5 Cardinals Defeat Rice in Four Sets to Open Rice Invitational

Friday, September 11

Houston, TX

7:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

7-1,0-0ACC

Rice

5-2,0-0American

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Louisville	25	25	24	25	3
Rice	14	17	26	12	1

The Cardinals celebrate a point against Indiana

Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics

No. 5 Cardinals Defeat Rice in Four Sets to Open Rice Invitational

September 11, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Chloe Chicoine led the way with 14 kills and 12 digs, while Nayelis Cabello tied her career high with 18 digs.

By: Sam Gercak

HOUSTON, Texas – The No. 5-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team earned their sixth consecutive victory on Friday night, defeating Rice in four sets (25-14, 25-17, 24-26, 25-12) in their first of three matches at the Rice Invitational in Houston.

The Cardinals (7-1) hit .304 for the match with 57 kills, compared to 40 kills on just .107 hitting for Rice (5-2). The Cardinals also racked up 61 digs, nine team blocks and served up a season-high 11 aces on the evening.

Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine led the charge once again, recording her second straight double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs while hitting .333, her sixth consecutive match with at least a .300 hitting percentage.

Opposite Kalyssa Blackshear and outside hitter Chloe Meester joined Chicoine with double-digit kills, as Blackshear recorded 13 and Meester notched 11 to go with three aces and a career-high four blocks.

Setter Nayelis Cabello stuffed the stat sheet once again, dishing out 11 assists while tying her career high with 18 digs. The junior also recorded a season-high six kills on eight attempts while chipping in two aces and two blocks. Libero Payton Petersen also set a career-best with eight assists, while also tallying 14 digs.

SET 1
The Cards jumped out to an early 9-5 lead, keyed by two kills apiece from Blackshear and Chicoine. After a Louisville service error cut the lead to three, the Cardinals scored the next eight points of the match with Cabello at the service line, getting three kills from Meester to key the run and bring the lead to 17-6. The Cardinals earned their largest lead of the set at 21-9 after a kill from Blackshear and an ace from Petersen. The two teams went back and forth over the next few points, but a kill from Addison Makun brought the set to a close at 25-14.

SET 2
After Louisville took the first set in convincing fashion, the two teams played each other even through the early going of the second. With the score knotted at 11, the Cardinals rattled off three quick points to gain some separation heading into the media timeout. A solo block from Elli Strecker kickstarted a 4-0 run to force a Rice timeout after a kill from Cabello brought the Louisville lead to 19-13. The Cards scored five of the final six points of the second, ending the set on a block from Blackshear and Hannah Sherman, the 300^th block of Sherman's collegiate career.

SET 3
Rice quickly responded coming out of the break, opening up an early 8-4 lead. The Owls kept Louisville at arm's length throughout much of the set, hitting the media timeout with a 15-11 lead before the Cards responded. Louisville found some rhythm with a 6-1 run, taking their first lead of the set at 17-16 after an ace by Blair Thiebaud. The teams traded blows, with Rice holding a 22-20 lead before the Cardinals scored four of the next five points, reaching their first match point at 24-23 on a kill by Chicoine. However, the Owls forced a fourth set by scoring the next three points to win the third set 26-24.

SET 4
Louisville scored the first six points of the fourth with Meester at the service line, getting a pair of kills in the run from both Blackshear and Sherman. The Owls cut the deficit down to as little as three at 7-4, but the Cards quickly responded with two kills from Chicoine and a solo block from Brooke Bultema to increase their lead. The Cards closed the match on an 8-1 run featuring back-to-back aces from Hannah Kenny and three kills from Bultema before a kill from Meester ended the match.

UP NEXT
Louisville will take on No. 15 Creighton tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. ET in their second of three matches at the Rice Invitational in Houston. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

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.