LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 4 University of Louisville volleyball team will begin regular season play this weekend in Vermillion, S.D. for a three-match tournament on Aug. 26-27.
The Cards will compete in a double-header on Friday, Aug. 26 playing Northern Kentucky at 11:00 a.m. ET before facing the host South Dakota at 8:00 p.m. ET. Louisville will finish the tournament on Saturday, Aug. 27 with a match against Missouri at 4:30 p.m. ET.
UofL returns all but two starters to the lineup. Gone are First Team All-Americans Tori Dilfer and Anna Stevenson. The Cardinals return Third Team All-American outside hitter Anna DeBeer and AVCA All-East Region players Aiko Jones, Elena Scott and Amaya Tillman as well as Claire Chaussee to the starting lineup. DeBeer led the team in kills with 343 hitting .257 on the season. Tillman recorded 149 blocks last season with 1.35 blocks per set. Scott, the libero for the Cardinals, led the team in digs with 415. New faces in the race for playing time will be USC transfer Raquel Lazaro at setter, Phekran Kong at middle and with four freshmen in the mix as well. Lazaro was an AVCA All-Pacific South Honorable Mention nominee in 2019 and the 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
Northern Kentucky vs. Louisville
This weekend marks the 19th meeting between Louisville and Northern Kentucky. They faced off in 2021 for the first time since 1984, with the Cards winning 3-0. In her 12th season, head coach Liz Hart led the Norse to a Horizon League Conference Championship where they fell in a tough five-setter to UIC. NKU returns two 2021 All-Horizon League First Team and All-Tournament Team honorees: Anna Brinkman and Reilly Briggs. Brinkman, the kills leader for the Norse, was also named 2021 ACVA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention. NKU will also return senior libero Anna Burke.
South Dakota vs. Louisville
The Cardinals match against South Dakota will be the second meeting between the two programs. Facing off last year for the first time, Louisville won 3-0. Last season head coach Leanne Williamson, in her eighth year, led the Coyotes to their third Summit League Tournament Championship in four years. South Dakota fell in the…
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