BLACKSBURG, Va. — The No. 5-ranked University of Louisville Cardinals secured a 3-1 victory over Virginia Tech Hokies on Sunday afternoon, further solidifying their standing in the ACC. Led by Charitie Luper’s career-high 20 kills, the Cardinals showcased their offensive and defensive capabilities, hitting .270 with 52 kills, seven aces, and eight blocks. – Box Score
Cardinals Take Command
Louisville set the tone early, going up 10-4 in the first set and forcing an early Hokie timeout. Despite a brief resurgence from Virginia Tech, the Cardinals maintained their lead, closing out the first set 25-19. Luper led the charge with nine kills, while Reese Robins added three kills off the bench.
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Hokies Fight Back, But Fall Short
Virginia Tech showed resilience in the second set, taking a 6-2 lead and forcing a Louisville timeout. The set saw nine ties before reaching the first media timeout at 15-14 in favor of Louisville. However, the Hokies managed to edge out the Cardinals 26-24, thanks in part to key plays from Sydney Petersen and Iliana Rodriguez.
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Cardinals Seal the Deal
In the third and fourth sets, Louisville reasserted their dominance. They led 15-7 at the media timeout in the third set and never looked back, closing it out 25-11. The fourth set was more of the same, with the Cardinals securing a 25-19 win to take the match.
Notable Performances
- Setter Elle Glock tallied a match-high 45 assists and six digs.
- Libero Elena Scott contributed 19 digs and an ace.
- Phekran Kong added 11 kills and two blocks.
- Cara Cresse led all blockers with five blocks and added nine kills.
Up Next
Louisville returns to L&N Arena to face ACC rival Florida State on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., followed by a match against Miami on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m.
