The No. 3 Louisville Volleyball team remained unbeaten in conference play this weekend by sweeping Virginia and Virginia Tech on the road.  Louisville improved to 14-0 in ACC play, 24-2 overall and remained third in the country in the AVCA Top 25. 

With three weeks left in the regular season, the race for the ACC championship and a one-seed in the NCAA tournament is on.  If the Cards can secure a spot as a “Top 4” team in the field, they would host all rounds of the NCAA Tournament until the Final Four in San Antonio.  

The current ACC picture with AVCA ranking: 

1. #3 Louisville 14-0

2.       #2 Pittsburgh 13-1

3.       #5 SMU 12-2

4.       #25 North Carolina 11-3

5.       Miami 11-3

Even though Louisville has a slight edge in the conference, four of the final six matches are against teams in the Top 5 of the ACC standings.  This week The Ville goes to SMU on Thursday night for an 8 pm tilt with the Mustangs that will be televised on ESPNU.  Louisville is 3-1 in the all-time series, but SMU defeated the Cards at L&N Arena in a five-set match last season. 

On Sunday, the latest installment of the Pitt-Louisville volleyball rivalry takes center stage on ESPN at 8 pm.  Louisville leads the all-time series 21-20, but Pitt has taken six of the last seven.   The two teams met three straight seasons in the NCAA tournament with the Cards defeating the Panthers in the Final Four round in Omaha in 2022 and Louisville in 2024.  Pitt touts 6’4” outside hitter Olivia Babcock who is a fifth-year senior and the four-time defending AVCA National Player of the Year.

To recap last weekend, the Cards swept Virginia (25-18, 25-14, 25-17) on Friday night and Virginia Tech (25-15, 25-18, 25-18) on Sunday afternoon.  Kalyssa Blackshear led the Cards in kills both matches, notching 10 against the Hokies and nine against the Cavaliers. 

In the UVA match outside hitter Chloe Meester tied her career high with four aces to go with seven kills.  Sophomore Addison Makun has been the most pleasant development this season at the net.  She contributed five kills and four blocks and setter Nayellis Cabello added 21 assists and 14 digs. 

Against Virginia Tech, Chloe Chicoine chipped in eight kills, eight digs and a pair of blocks.  Makun set a career high with seven kills on a .700 hitting percentage and Cabello recorded her 16th double-double of the year with 29 assists and 11 digs.  Libero Payton Petersen contributed 11 digs. 

For her efforts this weekend Cabello was named ACC co-Defensive Player of the Week.  She is the first setter in the conference to win the award this season.  This is her fourth ACC weekly award as she was named ACC Setter of the Week on September 7, September 14 and November 2.