No. 1 Louisville is headed to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship after an impressive four-set win over No. 1 Pitt (21-25, 25-23, 29-27, 25-17). The Cardinals fought off a loss in the first set and later fought off several set points in the third set to outlast the Panthers.

Pitt came out strong, winning the first set 25-21 behind dominant play from Olivia Babcock, who had a match-high 33 kills. The Panthers’ offense fired up early, hitting .373 in the opening set. Louisville responded with a back-and-forth second set and rallied from an early deficit to win 25-23 and tie the game.

In the third set, Pitt stormed into the lead, but Louisville’s Anna DeBeer delivered a crucial block to tie the score at 23-23. The Cardinals stayed calm and won the set 29:27. DeBeer’s all-around game and defensive presence changed the momentum in Louisville’s favor.

Louisville, which lost DeBeer to injury, maintained control in the fourth set and clinched the match.

With the win, Louisville advances to its second national title game in three years. The Cardinals will look to win their first-ever championship after falling short in 2022.

THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS GO TO NATTY 🐦

(1) @LouisvilleVB Defeats (1) Pitt in four sets and advances!#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/gY4JB3GMuC

— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 20, 2024