One Last Sweep in the Yum! Center: Louisville Sends a Message with Dominant Win Over Notre Dame

Louisville closed out its home schedule in emphatic fashion Sunday afternoon, sweeping Notre Dame 25-11, 25-20, 27-25 in front of an energized KFC Yum! Center crowd. It marked the Cardinals’ second sweep of the Irish in four days and a statement win that reinforced why they remain one of the ACC’s most complete and dangerous teams.

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Fast Start, No Looking Back

From the opening serve, Louisville set the tone. The Cardinals stormed out to an 11-0 lead behind sharp serving and relentless front-line pressure. Sophomore outsides Chloe Chicoine and Kalyssa Blackshear led the charge, while Cara Cresse and the blocking unit completely shut down Notre Dame’s attack. The first set was over in a hurry, 25-11.

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Offense in Rhythm

Louisville kept its momentum rolling through Set 2, with Chicoine continuing her remarkable run of efficiency. The sophomore tallied 14 kills, her 10th consecutive double-digit performance, while hitting above .300. Blackshear added 10 kills and three blocks, consistently winning one-on-one matchups at the pin. Setter Nayelis Cabello guided the attack with poise, spreading the offense and slipping in a perfectly timed setter dump to close the second set, 25-20.

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Composed Under Pressure

Notre Dame pushed back late in Set 3, taking a brief lead and forcing Louisville to respond under pressure. The Cards did just that. Behind disciplined defense and timely blocking, they closed on a 4-1 run. The final point came fittingly from a Cabello-Cresse block, sealing the sweep 27-25 as the home crowd erupted one last time this season.

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Defensive Control and Balance

Libero Kamden Schrand anchored the backcourt with 11 digs, while the team combined for nine blocks and held the Irish to a .121 hitting percentage. Offensively, Louisville hit .265, maintaining the balance and precision that have defined its recent surge.

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With the win, Louisville improves to 18-4 overall and 10-2 in ACC play, staying firmly in contention near the top of the league standings. The Cardinals now turn their focus to the final road stretch, a two-match swing at NC State and Wake Forest, with postseason form clearly taking shape.