Cards Advance to Final Four with 3-1 Win Over Stanford

Mark BlankenbakerDecember 14, 2024

The No. 1-seeded University of Louisville volleyball team is heading to its third NCAA National Semifinals following a 3-1 win over No. 2-seeded Stanford Saturday night in Freedom Hall. UofL punched their ticket after winning 22-25, 25-14, 28-26, 25-20.

“It was an epic moment for this program when the Final Four got announced here in 2024 – it was like a dream. ‘Can we ever do this? Will we have a team that can make it? Then, to go through this season, with all this pressure?,’” said head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. “We’ve been talking about this almost every single week, and to be able to get through those moments and play how we did tonight, it was incredible. I’m just really, really proud of what our team did, and excited and looking forward to a couple more matches.”

In their third matchup of 2024, and just fifth all-time, Louisville held Stanford to a .153 hitting percentage on the match. Stanford hit a chilly .000 clip in the second set, making it the lowest hitting percentage Stanford has been kept to in a set this year.

Outside hitter Anna DeBeer tallied her second consecutive match with 15 kills and adding six digs, two blocks, and an ace. DeBeer was named Most Outstanding Player of the Louisville Regional.

Outside hitter Sofia Maldonado Diaz hit a UofL-career high 12 kills on the match, hitting .385 and stuffing seven blocks. Outside hitter Charitie Luper hit a .571 clip and posted her eighth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 13 digs, while adding four blocks. Seven Cardinals added to Louisville’s 16.0 total blocks, and three players recorded six or more blocks on the night.

Luper and libero Elena Scott were selected to the All-Regional team following their performances. In the games against Purdue and Stanford, Scott dug up 21 balls and added 11 assists. Luper knocked down 26 total kills, dug up 21, and stuffed four blocks.

Three Stanford players notched 10 or more kills to add to the team total 51. Sami Francis tallied 10, Ipar Kurt notched 13, and Elia Rubin knocked down 14. Setter and AVCA Player of the Year semi-finalist Kami Miner posted 46 assists and two kills in her last match with the Cardinal. Jordyn Harvey hit a .250 clip on eight kills, eight digs, three service aces, and two blocks. Stanford hit .153 with 51 kills, 42 digs, 10.0 total blocks, and five aces.

With Louisville’s win, the first national semifinal match of the NCAA Championship is set. The Cards will face No. 1 overall seed Pittsburgh. The third match of 2024 between these two teams will take place on Thursday, Dec. 19 at either 6:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. in the KFC Yum! Center. Pitt beat No. 3-seeded Kentucky in three sets to advance to its fourth straight Final Four appearance.

In 2024, Pitt leads the series 2-0, beating the Cards in five sets in Pittsburgh on Oct. 25. Pitt took the second win over the Cards 3-1 in the KFC Yum! Center on Nov. 27. The last time these two teams squared off in the NCAA Championship, Pitt took a 3-2 victory over Louisville on Dec. 9, 2023 in the Elite Eight to win the Pittsburgh Regional.

Set 1: Louisville 22, Stanford 25
Luper grabbed the first point on a kill, but Stanford quickly got out to a 6-0 run that forced Louisville to use its first timeout. Out of the timeout, Phekran Kong ended the Stanford run on a kill, bringing the score to 6-2. The Cardinal eventually got out to a 10-3 lead and on a 3-0 run that was ended by a 3-0 run from UofL and brought the Cards back within four at 10-6. Points went back and forth as Stanford got out to another 3-0 run and went up 17-11 and forced Louisville to burn its second timeout of the set. Stanford ended its own run on a service error and Luper stuffed a solo block to put the score at 17-13. The Cards started slowly climbing back, getting within three at 21-18 off of kills from DeBeer and errors from the Cardinal. Stanford called its first timeout ahead 21-18 and grabbed the first point out of the timeout. A kill from Reese Robins kept the Cards within reach at 22-19, but the Cardinal added a kill and a block to get to set point at 24-19. Louisville held off set point three times, led by a block connection from Luper and Kong and a kill from DeBeer that saw Stanford take its final timeout of the set at 24-22. Following the timeout, the Cardinal took the set win 25-22 on a kill. The teams were closely matched in the first set with Louisville hitting .222 and Stanford hitting .250.

Set 2: Louisville 25, Stanford 14
A service error from Louisville got Stanford on the board first, but Luper knocked down a kill for the Cards’ first points. The teams traded scores until UofL eventually took its first lead since the very first point of the match, going ahead 7-3 and on a 4-0 run that forced the Cardinal to use its first timeout. Louisville continued its run out of the timeout, extending its lead to 11-3 and on an 8-0 run that caused Stanford to burn its second timeout. On this 8-0 run, Sofia Maldonado Diaz recorded three kills and a block assist, Kong recorded two blocks and a kill, and DeBeer stuffed a solo block. Following the timeout, Louisville kept rolling, never letting Stanford get closer than nine points. Cara Cresse, Kong, Robins, DeBeer, Maldonado Diaz, and Luper all added to the Cards’ kill total, with Cresse and Maldonado Diaz teaming up for a block. Set point came for UofL at 24-13 after a kill from Cresse. A service error held off the set win for one point, but a kill from Luper finished the set at 25-14. Stanford’s .000 hitting percentage in this set was the lowest the Cardinal has been kept to in a 2024 match since hitting .065 against Pitt on Oct. 20.

Set 3: Louisville 28, Stanford 26
A block connection from Luper and Cresse got the scoring started before Stanford tallied its first point on a kill. Scoring was tight as Louisville eventually pulled ahead 10-6 off of kills from DeBeer, Luper, and Maldonado Diaz, with Maldonado Diaz adding a solo block to her stats. Stanford stayed close, getting within one on a 3-0 run but still down 11-10. Scoring continued to go back and forth until the Cards got ahead 15-12 at the media timeout following kills from Maldonado Diaz and Kong and a block from the duo of Cresse and DeBeer. Out of the media timeout, points went back and forth as Stanford tied the score at 16-all on a 3-0 run. The run was quickly ended by a kill from Luper and the teams remained right alongside each other. Stanford took its first timeout down 23-21, and answered the Cards to tie the set at 23 and force Louisville to use its first timeout. Stanford got to set point out of the timeout on a kill, leading 24-23 and making UofL burn its second timeout. Maldonado Diaz knocked down a kill to force a deuce set and tie it at 24-apiece. Stanford grabbed a kill to put it at set point 25-24, but Cresse and Nayelis Cabello stuffed a block to even the score at 25. An attack error from the Cardinal gave Louisville set point at 26-25 and burned Stanford’s last timeout. The Cardinal added a kill to tie the set at 26, but the Cards stayed in control. Luper notched a kill to put UofL back at set point, and Maldonado Diaz’s 11th kill locked down the set win 28-26 for Louisville.

Set 4: Louisville 25, Stanford 20
Louisville scored first on a net violation from the Cardinal, but Stanford was quick to return the point on a kill. The next few points were close until Louisville went on a 4-0 run to go up 6-3 off of a kill from Luper and block connections between Kong and Maldonado Diaz and Kong with Luper. Stanford took its first timeout and came out with a kill to end the run. Louisville went on another quick 3-0 run to lead 9-5, but was ultimately stopped by a kill from the Cardinal. Points went back and forth as each team went on short runs, but with UofL leading 18-13, Stanford took its final timeout. The Cardinal kept battling but Louisville remained in command. DeBeer, Maldonado Diaz, and Cresse tallied blocks, with Maldonado Diaz and Cresse posting a big block. Match point came for the Cards at 24-18 after DeBeer’s 15th kill of the night. Errors from UofL held off the win for two more points, but Cresse sealed Louisville’s third Final Four appearance with a kill to win it 25-20.

POSTMATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
(Opening Statement)
Dani Busboom Kelly: “An epic moment for this program. When the Final Four got announced here in 2024, it was like a dream. Can we ever do this? Will we have a team that could make it? Then to go through this season with all the pressure, and we’ve been talking about this almost every single week, to be able to get through those moments and just play how we did tonight, it was incredible. Just really proud of what our team did, and excited and looking forward to a couple more matches.”
(Response after first set)
Anna DeBeer: “We were just talking about this and how we persevered through so much this year. We looked at each other in the eyes right when they were putting pressure on us early. They were serving super aggressive. We all just knew that’s not how we were going to play. I trusted every single person, and that’s how we got out of that. We started gaining the momentum to finish out that first. Even though we came short, I felt like our team was getting back in it. Coming into that second, we knew we had it.”
Charitie Luper: “We were just never phased. Going into that second set, it felt like we didn’t even lose the first set. I didn’t feel down, my teammates didn’t look down, and we just didn’t feel phased at all. We came in jumping on them from the start in that second set. I really think it shows that we weren’t phased.”
(On if there was a technical adjustment after the first set)
Dani Busboom Kelly: “Not really. It was just settled in passing, which we started settling in throughout game one. So, it felt like, okay, we’re going to weather this storm, because [Stanford] were serving really tough. So, I just thought the passers did a great job of communicating and being confident. We also didn’t set Sophia [Maldonado Diaz] one ball in game one. So, you saw what happened when we set her after that.”
(On the difference between last year and this year when it comes to finishing matches)
Dani Busboom Kelly: “Yeah, it feels like the senior class just won’t let us lose right now and I guess that’s about it. Just when you’re out there, it’s like, I feel like, okay, these guys aren’t going to let us lose. I think that scare against UNI helped fuel that, that attitude and the hunger. So, I think these guys are just more prepared for the moment than they were last year.”
(On it being Louisville’s third Final Four in four years, and how it feels getting back there)
Anna DeBeer: “I think it’s like a crazy feeling. I mean, like [Dani Busboom Kelly] said, knowing it was in Louisville and knowing how hard it has been to get [to the Final Four] in the past. We’ve made two Final Fours before, but knowing it was so hard every single match, all the pressure, all the things you have to think about. To finally do it again for my last year, and just like this, I think it was just truly the seniors stepping up. Every single person really just gave it their all and just to be back in [the KFC Yum! Center] again. We had a little saying, ‘It starts and ends in [the KFC!] Yum! [Center], and we started in [the KFC Yum! Center] with all those preseason games. We had our moments this year, but this team has wanted it really bad, and that just shows our fight and our grit and the mental toughness we have, and that’s ultimately what helped us pull it out today.
(On if things will be different against Pitt)
Charitie Luper: “I believe things will be different. It’s hard to beat a team three times as well, but we’re just going to go in that match, we’re just going to have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We’re just going to stick to our game plan and we’re going to beat Pitt.”
(On playing in Louisville and being in a loud environment)
Sofia Maldonado Diaz: I feel like it is pretty exciting. This is my first Final Four, my first NCAA tournament. Being at home with this team and with this public, it is such a good environment to play in. At least for me and for the team, it gets exciting to have most of the people on your side. I feel like that also helps a lot. Being here in the Final Four is going to bring us up too.
(On Anna DeBeer coming back for a fifth year and playing in Louisville for the Final Four)
Anna DeBeer: It’s unbelievable. I didn’t really know if we were going to get there, but we talked this whole season on how there is all this added pressure now that [the Final Four] is in Louisville and how we were going to handle that. I knew it was going to be hard to be here and finally say that we did it, but that was one of our goals. Not our main goal, obviously. Just to be in Louisville and have a crowd behind us. I really knew early on I wanted to take my fifth and be in the most perfect situations like right where we’re at. It’s been awesome. I’m really looking forward to playing Pitt.
(On Sofia Maldonado Diaz’s career-high kills and being more engaged)
Sofia Maldonado Diaz: In previous matches and this season, yes. We were really tight and there were close sets. Stepping up in those close moments brings me up a lot and gives me more confidence, especially playing this team. We were talking earlier about how there are some players that talk in the right moments and make us calm down and play freer and cleaner. I feel like that is something that is helping me a lot like the feedback from others. Watching them being confident makes me confident too. That’s a pretty important part of the game too.