The Louisville Cardinals Women’s Volleyball Team entered the first round of their NCAA playoffs against the Wright State Raiders. The 30 November matchup saw a gritty face-off between both sides, as Louisville emerged victorious in the end.

The Louisville Cardinals were initially shocked by the Wright State Raiders, who picked up a close win in the first set. However, as the match progressed, Louisville players won the game by 3-1 to ace their NCAA Postseason opener.

Louisville shakes its initial wobble to take the win

The Louisville Cardinals are a powerhouse team in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament. However, the players of Wright State made the Cardinals work hard for their victory. Louisville Volleyball tweeted about the victory of its women’s team as it advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The tweet carried the caption, “Survive and Advance. #GoCards x #ForTheVille.” 

The Raiders were sailing smoothly in the beginning but failed to contain the Cardinals in the second set, which cost them the win. Louisville and Wright State were equally matched in terms of offensive capabilities. However, the Cardinals utilized their defensive superiority to snatch the game from the Raiders. 

In fact, the players of Louisville silenced 15 kill attempts by the Raiders to eliminate them from the NCAA Championship run. Louisville won the game with scores of 25-18, 25-20, and 25-20. Sadly, a player from Wright State who tried the absolute best for her team to win had to face a heart-wrenching loss.

The loss that could have been a win

Sam Ott of the Wright State Raiders fought against the Louisville Cardinals alongside her team while showcasing a brilliant game of volleyball. Despite Louisville having the defensive advantage, Wright State had almost closed the gap in sets three and four. This was possible because Ott strived hard to clinch the NCAA postseason opener.

Ott registered phenomenal numbers in terms of both offense and defense. While the senior outside hitter managed to rake in 18 kills, she also dove around the court and secured 12 digs. Unfortunately, though, this effort couldn’t translate into a victory for the Wright State Raiders, ending their 2023 NCAA tournament journey.

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While Louisville secured the win against a sturdy Wright State, their next match is against a really dominant force. The Western Michigan Broncos will be the second test for Louisville in the tournament. The Broncos qualified for the second round of the NCAA playoffs by winning a clean-sweeping game against the seventh-seeded Auburn University. Will the Louisville Cardinals be able to maintain their winning charm against the Broncos as well?

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