Louisville’s volleyball season began and ended at the KFC Yum! Center.

And despite Sunday’s loss to Penn State, what a journey it has been.

The journey there took some twists and turns, and perhaps the hardest part came after the Cardinals defeated No. 1 overall seed Pitt in the national semifinals on Thursday.

Outside hitter Anna DeBeer, Louisville’s emotional leader, injured her ankle early in the fourth set against the Panthers. She did not return for that game and was unable to play in the championship game against Penn State on Sunday.

The Cardinals fought particularly hard in an epic second set, but lost 3-1 to the Nittany Lions (35-2).