No. 3 Cardinals Top Western Kentucky in Three Sets

Wednesday, September 16

Bowling Green, KY

7:00 pm

University of Louisville

10-1,0-0ACC

Western Kentucky

5-5,0-0CUSA

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Louisville	25	25	25	3
Western Ky.	15	19	19	0

Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics

September 16, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Brooke Bultema and Nayelis Cabello each set a career-high with nine blocks apiece.

By: Sam Gercak

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The No. 3-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team swept Western Kentucky (25-15, 25-19, 25-19) to earn its ninth straight win on Wednesday evening in Bowling Green, Ky.

Louisville (10-1) excelled on the defensive side of the floor, holding WKU (5-5) to only 24 kills on just a .063 hitting percentage. The Cards also earned a season-high 11 total blocks and tallied 42 digs. Offensively, UofL posted 37 kills on a .287 clip while adding seven aces.

Middle blocker Brooke Bultema excelled on both ends of the court, stuffing the Hilltoppers' offense with a career-high nine blocks. The senior added eight kills on a .429 clip to help fuel the Cards' offensive efforts.

Setter Nayelis Cabello also secured a career-high with nine total blocks to help lock down WKU's offense. The reigning ACC Setter of the Week dished out 30 assists and posted four digs with a pair of kills to cap her stellar performance. Libero Payton Petersen led UofL with 11 digs and added three aces.

Opposite Kalyssa Blackshear powered the Cardinals' offense, totaling 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Chloe Chicoine added 11 kills of her own with no errors on a .355 clip while serving up three aces.

SET 1
The Cards' offense led the way early in the first, with Blackshear, Chicoine and Bultema each earning a pair of kills to help give UofL the 9-4 lead. WKU came back with three straight points, before the teams went back-and-forth heading into the media break with Louisville holding the 15-11 edge. The Cards' defense showed out the second half of the set as WKU recorded five attack errors to boost UofL on a 10-4 run to secure the 25-15 win. Louisville held the Hilltoppers to only seven kills on just a .034 clip in the first.

SET 2
WKU gained its first lead of the match, going on a 4-0 run to open the second and force a Louisville timeout. The Cards shot back with an 8-1 run of their own, highlighted by three kills by Chicoine to help UofL gain the 8-5 edge. The squads traded blows as the Cardinals maintained the slight advantage at 15-12 heading into the media break. The Hilltoppers climbed back to a one-point deficit at 17-16, before Louisville ignited a 6-0 run capped by a Cabello kill to come within two points of victory at 23-16. WKU inched back but a kill by Chloe Meester earned UofL the 25-19 win.

SET 3
The teams played even at 10 apiece through the first 20 points of the set, with neither squad earning more than a three-point lead. The Cards broke away with a 9-2 run that included a pair of aces by Petersen to bring the advantage to 19-12. WKU continued to fight to the finish, but the Cards prevailed as a pair of kills by Bultema helped Louisville claim the 25-19 win. The Cardinals' defense allowed only nine kills on just a .051 hitting percentage in the third.

UP NEXT
The Cards will stay in the Bluegrass State as the team heads to Lexington, Ky., to face the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday, Sept. 20. First serve is set for 3 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast on ABC.