Cresse Earns AVCA All-America Third Team Honors

University of Louisville middle blocker Cara Cresse earned national recognition for her dominant season, being named an AVCA All-America Third Team selection as voted on by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

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Cresse, a 6-foot-6 native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, capped a standout collegiate campaign that established her among the nation’s top middle blockers. She was also voted to the AVCA All-South Region First Team and earned 2025 All-ACC First Team honors while serving as a team captain for the Cardinals.

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One of the most accomplished defenders in program history, Cresse finished the season ranked first in the ACC in blocks per set and 15th nationally. She also ranked fourth nationally and first in the ACC in total blocks. During the year, she surpassed 500 career blocks and now ranks sixth in Louisville history in the category. Against Top 50 opponents, she averaged 1.56 blocks per set.

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Cresse produced multiple historic performances over the course of the season. She set a Louisville single-match record with 14 blocks against Northern Iowa and posted a career-, season-, and team-high .818 hitting percentage (9-0-11) at NC State. She also recorded career highs of 16 kills against Virginia and 30 attacks versus SMU.

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Her impact extended beyond collegiate competition. Cresse earned gold with the U23 U.S. National Team at the NORCECA Pan American Cup, was voted MVP of the Creighton Bluejay Invitational, and was named to the AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watch List. At the professional level, she was selected fifth overall in the first round of the draft by Indy Ignite.

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This marks the second consecutive season of national recognition for Cresse. In 2024, she earned Honorable Mention All-America honors along with AVCA All-South Region and All-ACC Second Team selections. During the 2023 season, she was named to the AVCA All-East Region Team, the All-Pitt Regional Team, and the All-ACC Second Team while hitting .326 in conference play.

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Cresse’s AVCA All-America Third Team selection further solidifies her place as one of the most dominant middle blockers in Louisville volleyball history.