Cards Take Down Illinois in Front of Over 6,000 Fans, Set Sights on Texas Showdown

Louisville Volleyball kept its early momentum rolling on Sunday, grinding out a 3–1 victory over Illinois (25–19, 25–22, 20–25, 25–18) in front of more than 6,000 fans at the KFC Yum! Center. The win moved the Cardinals to 4–0 on the season and gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about.

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The Cards were firing on all cylinders, hitting .288 as a team with 63 kills, 18 blocks, and 5 aces. Sophomore outside hitter Payton Petersen was unstoppable on the pin, notching a career-high 20 kills to go with 11 digs and an ace for a gritty all-around performance. Fellow outside hitter Chloe Chicoine wasn’t far behind, finishing with 17 kills, 11 digs, a block, and two assists. She showed resilience throughout, bouncing back quickly and swinging without hesitation even after mistakes.

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In the middle, Cara Cresse, Nayelis Cabello, and Kalyssa Blackshear each racked up five blocks to control the net. Cresse added nine kills on .529 hitting, giving Louisville steady production in the middle to complement the firepower on the pins.

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Illinois (2–2) put up a fight, hitting .201 with 50 kills and 20 blocks. Taylor de Boer led the Illini effort with 18 kills, and Illinois managed to steal the third set before the Cardinals slammed the door late.

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Set-by-Set Breakdown

Set 1 | Louisville 25, Illinois 19

A tight start turned into Louisville dominance thanks to a 6–0 run that pushed the Cards ahead 10–5. From there, they never looked back, and Cresse sealed the opener with a kill through the middle.

Set 2 | Louisville 25, Illinois 22

Chicoine caught fire midway through, sparking a burst of three kills in four points to keep Louisville in front. Late in the set, Petersen took over with back-to-back kills before Cabello and Cresse combined for a block to close it out.

Set 3 | Illinois 25, Louisville 20

The Illini showed grit, flipping momentum with strong blocking and handing Louisville its first dropped set of the night.

Set 4 | Louisville 25, Illinois 18

Louisville wasted no time reasserting control, racing out to a 6–0 start. Illinois clawed back to within one at 18–17, but the Cards finished with six straight points, punctuated by back-to-back blocks from Blackshear and Cresse.

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Louisville’s balance and poise carried them through a tough match, and the atmosphere inside the Yum! Center reflected just how energized the fan base is this season. Next up, the Cards head to Texas for the Showdown at the Net on Wednesday, Sept. 10, where they’ll meet the No. 2 Longhorns in a top-three clash with national implications.