The first rounds of the 2024 NCAA Championships are underway, with giants such as defending champions Texas Longhorns, Wisconsin, and SMU already making it to round 2. On Friday, December 6, Louisville volleyball will seek to join the winning teams in round two. After all, the NCAA has chosen Louisville as the venue for this year’s semifinals and finals.

The Cardinals (25-5) will hope to kick off their NCAA campaign with a win against The Cougars (19-9). A victory against Chicago State will see them through to the second round, where they’ll take on the winner of the Illinois vs. Northern Iowa on Saturday, December 7. So, here’s a closer look at the Cardinals as they prepare to make their 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance.

The rise of the Louisville volleyball program

The University of Louisville volleyball program came into being in 1977, four years after the NCAA implemented the historic Title IX. However, the UofL’s volleyball program struggled to find its footing in the early years. Unlike teams such as Nebraska, Stanford, South Carolina, and others, they barely made a mark until coach Scott Luster took the reins in 1981.

Luster led the team to their first-ever NCAA appearance in 1982, as well as two Metro Conference Championship appearances. However, it was in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s, that Louisville volleyball truly became a force to be reckoned with. Under coach Leonid Yelin, the team registered a winning season every year, not losing more than 12 games per season.

The momentum continued under Anne Kordes, a former UofL player who joined as head coach in 2010. However, it’s under Dani Busboom Kelly that the team has truly come within touching distance of earning the national title. However, we know about more Coach Kelly, let’s look at the facility that’s also played a part in Louisville volleyball’s progress.

The arena the Cardinals call home

Originally named after the Cardinals themselves, Cardinal Arena, the home ground for the Louisville volleyball program, became the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena on April 18, 2019. “A cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution located in Louisville,” the L&N Federal Credit Union contributed $2 million to UofL. The University honored them by naming the arena after them.

The team holds an impressive 87% win rate on the home court. However, another stadium came into play for the Cardinals when the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena underwent major renovations in 2017, and that’s the KFC Yum! Center. Yes, the same KFC Yum! Center that is set to host the 2024 NCAA Championship semis and finals.

Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly expressed her excitement on Thursday. “I think it’s an incredibly unique opportunity… Probably never happened before in our sport where somebody gets to host in their home arena and then be able to host the whole way through,” said Kelly. However, before we move on to the current roster playing in the NCAA championships, here’s a look at the team’s accolades and what they hope to achieve.

A brief look at the team’s records and achievements

Despite not having an NCAA title to their name, Louisville volleyball is among the top performers at the conference level. The team has won nearly two dozen conference championships throughout its history. Here are some of their notable achievements across the years:

• 23 Conference titles (Metro, C-USA, Big East, American Athletic, and ACC)
• 33 NCAA Tournament appearances
• 27 All-American players (First, Second, and Third Team)
• #1 ACC team in the RPI rankings
• #4 NCAA team in the AVCA rankings

And while these records certainly paint an impressive picture, the Louisville volleyball team hopes to get their hands on an NCAA title sooner rather than later. In 2021, the Cardinals came close as Dani Busboom Kelly led them to the finals. This year, the goal remains the same.

The current Louisville volleyball roster and their head coach

The Cardinals maintain a mix of offensive and defensive players on the roster, giving almost equal priority to offense and defense. Here’s a look at the players and positions of the current roster vying for a chance to earn the 2024 NCAA title:

• #1 Ava Utterback – Outside Hitter
• #3 Kamden Schrand – Libero/Defensive Specialist
• #4 Charitie Luper – Outside Hitter
• #5 – Elle Glock – Setter
• #6 – Sofia Maldonado Diaz – Outside Hitter
• #8 – Nayelis Cabello – Setter
• #10 – Phekran Kong – Middle Blocker
• #11 – Hannah Sherman – Middle Blocker
• #12 – Jessica Drapp – Libero/Defensive Specialist
• #13 – Cara Cresse – Middle Blocker
• #14 – Anna DeBeer – Outside Hitter
• #16 – Sam Untiedt – Libero/Defensive Specialist
• #17 – Molly Urban – Libero/Defensive Specialist
• #18 – Alanna Bankston – Outside Hitter
• #19 – Elena Scott – Libero/Defensive Specialist
• #21 – Payton Petersen – Outside Hitter
• #25 – Reese Robins – Middle Blocker

The final part of the equation for Louisville volleyball is coach Dani Busboom Kelly who joined as head coach in 2017 and has since taken the team to new heights. It was under her guidance that the Cardinals made it to the NCAA final four for the first time in 2021, registering a perfect 32-win season, with their only loss coming in the finals.

Her efforts have earned the head coach multiple ACC and AVCA Coach of the Year awards. And if Louisville wins, she’ll add the NCAA-winning coach moniker to her cabinet of achievements as well. However, winning at home won’t be easy. “I do think there’s some added pressure, especially for our hometown players, where you know they’ve been hearing for six months, like hometown heroes and how amazing would it be to finish this season and at home,” said Coach Kelly during the pre-tournament presser.

Whether their goal of being national titleholders comes true remains to be seen. Tell us what you think about the Cardinals in the comment section below!