Louisville Sweeps WKU to Rebound After Rivalry Loss

No. 6 Louisville bounced back quickly from its five-set loss to Kentucky, sweeping Western Kentucky 25–15, 25–17, 25–20 on Monday night at the KFC Yum! Center. The win marked the Cardinals’ 20th straight victory over the Hilltoppers and improved their record to 8–2 heading into conference play.

Cresse Leads the Way

Middle blocker Cara Cresse delivered one of the best performances of her career, finishing with 10 kills on 17 swings (.588), eight blocks, and two aces. Her 18 total points set the tone on both ends of the floor.

Head coach Dan Meske highlighted her impact: “Cara Cresse in particular went 10-for-17, hit .588 and had eight blocks. 18 points in a sweep like that is really impressive.”

Balanced Attack and Serving Pressure

The Cardinals spread their offense efficiently. Payton Petersen and Kalyssa Blackshear tallied nine kills each, while Chloe Chicoine added eight. Off the bench, sophomore outside hitter Ava Utterback made an impact from the service line with two aces. Libero Kamden Schrand anchored the defense with 14 digs and chipped in two aces of her own.

Louisville’s serve consistently put WKU on its heels, limiting the Hilltoppers to a .080 hitting percentage overall. Faith Young led WKU with nine kills, but the Tops never established rhythm against Louisville’s serving and block.

Context of the Sweep

WKU was not at full strength, with two starters sidelined. The short-handed lineup pushed Louisville late in the third set, but the Cardinals’ depth and serving advantage carried them through.

Meske emphasized the serving performance: “That was the toughest we’ve served all year. If we can do that against every opponent, it just opens up more and more opportunities to close those big games.”

Looking Ahead

The sweep showed Louisville’s ability to regroup after a tough loss and reassert itself defensively and at the service line. But with ACC play beginning Friday against Boston College, tougher tests remain. Louisville’s ceiling will be measured not only by results against regional opponents, but also by how they fare against the nation’s top programs in the weeks ahead.