Last Sunday, the Louisville Cardinals’ volleyball team entered the KFC Yum! Center court, leaving its best player on the sidelines. The senior outside hitter and captain, Anna DeBeer, had no option except to sit out the NCAA Volleyball final. In the semifinal game against the Pittsburgh Panthers, DeBeer had a right ankle sprain. The injury went further south in the next two days, eliminating the senior’s chance to appear in the final. Her absence turned out too heavy to be filled up. The result? The Cardinals left the arena as the runner-up, and coach Dani Bushboom Kelly had to feel the emotional weight of missing her senior player on the court. But perhaps the coach has found Anna’s replacement. 

Yes, Sunday’s game against Penn State volleyball would have been Anna DeBeer’s final in her college career. After remaining the most loyal soldier in the Cardinals’ game, she had to bid goodbye to the fold. But with the turn of fate, she couldn’t play her final game. Coach Dani Bushboom Kelly even found this disheartening. In the post-game press conference, the coach called the situation “really tough.” Nonetheless, Kelly now seems to have found an answer to Anna’s absence in the lineup for the 2025 season. 

The answer is Chloe Chicoine. The 5’10” outside hitter entered the transfer portal after her squad lost to the Louisville Cardinals in the Sweet 16 round last season. However, on December 26, right after Christmas, Chicoine broke the news about her fresh joining. In her Instagram post, she wrote, “So excited to announce that I will be continuing my volleyball and academic career at the University of Louisville! Huge thank you to DBK and the entire coaching staff for this opportunity. Go Cards! [red heart emoji]” Remember, she has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Also, now she will have to leave her hometown of Purdue and join Louisville to complete those two years. But what about her prospect of filling in Anna DeBeer’s shoes? 

Well, Chloe Chicoine has numbers. Last season, she played an incredible role in keeping the Boilermakers in the discussion by upping her performance. She concluded the 2024 season with 3.08 kills on average and 2.95 digs/set. Purdue, however, had to leave the NCAA volleyball contest after facing heartbreak from Louisville. Yet the Boilermakers ended the season with heads held high. 

The overall record stood at 27-7, whereas the Big Ten Conference ended for Purdue with 16-4. Last year as well, they had made it to the Sweet 16. So back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances for the Boilermakers! However, what was Chloe Chicoine’s contribution to it? Well, in two years, she had 841 kills, 58 aces, and 631 digs. Stunning, isn’t it? Also, she is the fourth Boilermaker to enter the transfer portal after the Sweet 16 result of this season. Purdue will now have to do some calculations to keep things going. So will Chloe Chicoine. Any reason? 

The tough task is waiting in the Louisville volleyball team 

Chicoine will face a tremendous job on the Louisville volleyball team. After all, DeBeer was the most prevalent component in helping the Louisville volleyball team come close to winning the NCAA title three times in the last four years. She was often referred to as the program’s pillar because of her contributions. Remember the first 2024 season?

In the initial 2024 season, the Louisville volleyball team was nowhere closer to its stellar form. The suffering increased with the back-to-back losses against Penn State and Nebraska Huskers. However, Anna DeBeer played a prominent role in motivating the Cardinals in the team huddles. Her examples made the squad united and pushed the boundaries. Later, against Northern Iowa, DeBeer set examples of bravery. In the fifth set of the game, she completed her double-double and snatched the victory. Furthermore, her personal achievement stood no less. Last year, DeBeer took the title of the 2023 ACC Player of the Year. So will it be easy for the new top recruit to fill Anna DeBeer’s place? What do you think about this?