LOUISVILLE, Ky. — September 21, 2023 – By: Nancy Worley – UL Athletics
The No. 5-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team continues their five-game homestand this week as they begin ACC play. The Cards host Syracuse on Friday at 7 p.m. and Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m., both inside L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
The 9-1 Cardinals fell to then-ranked No. 5 Stanford inside the Yum! Center in five sets. Outside hitter Anna DeBeer tallied 17 kills, eight digs, and two blocks, while outside hitter Charitie Luper added 12 kills and 15 digs. The Cards had five players with double-digit kills, the most in a match this season, as middle blocker Phekran Kong recorded a career-high 10 kills and a block, opposite hitter Aiko Jones had 10 kills, five digs, and a block, and middle blocker Cara Cresse totaled 10 kills and four blocks. Setter Elle Glock had a career-high 50 assists and two blocks, and libero Elena Scott had 19 digs in the match.
Cresse is first in the ACC and fourth nationally in hitting percentage at .508 while being third in the ACC in blocks per set with 1.19. DeBeer is third in the conference in kills per set with 3.74 and sixth in points per set with 4.00. Glock is seventh in the ACC with 9.61 aces per set and Scott is fourth in digs per set with 4.43.
As a team, Louisville is first in the ACC in aces per set, second in hitting percentage, fourth in kills per set, and fifth in assists per set, blocks per set, and opponent hitting percentage.
About the Orange
Syracuse is 2-8 heading into conference play. The Orange just recently had their home opener on Friday as the host of the Syracuse/Cornell Invitational, falling to Iowa in three sets, but defeating Morgan State in three sets the next day. Syracuse is led by Bakeer Ganesharatnam, who is in his second season at the helm after an 11-17 campaign last year. Middle blocker Zharia Harris-Waddy leads the Orange offensively and defensively, with 45 kills and 66 points while having 16 blocks thus far. Overall: Louisville leads the series record 27-4. Last Louisville win was: 10/9/22, (3-0) Last SU Win was 11/3/19, (3-2)
About the Eagles
Boston College is 11-3 to begin the year, going undefeated in four matches in the BC-Harvard Cohost this past weekend. Head Coach Jason Kennedy is in his sixth season, coming off a historical 2022 campaign that included the best start in program history at 10-0 and the most wins in a season in program history with 24, resulting in the Eagles winning their first-ever postseason championship as they defeated Drake in the NIVC Finals. Libero Anna Murphy is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Week as she tallied double-digit digs in all five of the Eagles’ matches. Offensively, they are led by outside hitter Alayna Crabtree, who has 117 kills and 145.5 points on the year.
