Dan Meske and the Louisville Volleyball program continue to shine. A recap of the week that was for the Cards.
The Louisville Volleyball team heads into the weekend coming off back-to-back dominant wins against Virginia Tech and Virginia. The Cards took down the Hokies in straight sets on their “Pink Night” in honor of breast cancer awareness — a special evening highlighted by freshman Ava Utterback’s mother delivering the opening serve. It was a heartfelt moment for mother and daughter, celebrated with an equally special victory. The Cardinals handled the Hokies with ease, taking the first set 25–11, the second 25–12, and sealing the sweep with a 25–17 win in the third.
The trophy case continues to grow
The victory wasn’t the only highlight of the night. Chloe Chicoine surpassed 1,000 career kills, solidifying herself as one of the nation’s elite and etching her name into Cardinal history. Since transferring from Purdue, Chicoine has continued to elevate her game and thrive under this system — don’t be surprised if her name appears in the record books again soon.
The Cavs hate to see a Cardinal coming
Louisville then traveled to Virginia for another strong performance worth celebrating. The Cards claimed a 3–1 victory, jumping out to an early advantage with a dominant 25–11 first-set win. The Cavaliers responded with a tougher fight in the second, but Louisville held firm to take it 25–21. The third set grew tense, as Virginia rallied to steal it 25–23 — a familiar scenario for the Cards after going up two sets early. However, Louisville regrouped and closed out the match in convincing fashion, finishing the fourth set 25–17 to secure the win.
Something about a Blackshear in a Cardinals uniform…
Not only did Louisville notch another statement win, but freshman Kalyssa Blackshear was named ACC Freshman of the Week. Coming off a career-high 20 kills, Blackshear has quickly established herself as a crucial piece in Dan Meske’s system — and it’s clear her ceiling is only getting higher as the season progresses.
No time to celebrate
Dan Meske and the Cards now turn their focus to one of the toughest weekends of the season. Louisville faces 8th-ranked SMU on Friday, October 17, followed by 6th-ranked Pittsburgh on Sunday, October 19. Coming off two dominant victories, the Cardinals will need to maintain their momentum to stay undefeated in ACC play during these back-to-back top-10 matchups.
Louisville holds the all-time series lead over SMU, winning all three previous meetings. They also lead the series against Pitt 21–18, including a 3–1 victory in their most recent matchup last December. Both matches will be played at home — an advantage for Meske and company — but the question remains: can the Cards continue their run of dominance, or will they linger too long on past wins?
