Career Night from Petersen Underscores Louisville’s Depth and Poise

Louisville Volleyball gave fans inside the KFC Yum! Center plenty to cheer about on Sunday afternoon, taking down Illinois in four sets and leaning on a breakout performance from sophomore outside hitter Payton Petersen.

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Petersen was locked in from the first serve, delivering a career-high 20 kills while hitting .308. Every time the Cards needed a spark, she answered, powering Louisville past a scrappy Illini team that made the Cards work for it.

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The offensive firepower didn’t stop there. Junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine kept the pressure on, adding 17 kills at a .282 clip to form a one-two punch on the pins that Illinois simply couldn’t slow down.

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In the middle, redshirt fifth-year senior Cara Cresse proved why her presence is so valuable, finishing with nine kills on a scorching .529 hitting percentage. She was steady, efficient, and nearly automatic any time the Cards went her way.

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Defensively, junior libero Kamden Schrand turned in one of the best matches of her career, piling up 28 digs to anchor the back row. Her ability to extend rallies and frustrate Illinois hitters gave Louisville the edge in the long exchanges.

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As a team, the Cards swung .288 and looked balanced on both sides of the ball. More importantly, they showed poise in the big moments — something that will only matter more as the schedule heats up.

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With another quality win under their belt, the Cardinals keep rolling in nonconference play and continue to look every bit the part of a top-five team.