Pitt, Louisville volleyball teams set to add next chapter to growing rivalry
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A curious thing, this burgeoning volleyball rivalry between Pitt and Louisville.
It’s isn’t a product of geography like Pitt-West Virginia or Duke-North Carolina. Nor is it steeped in history, such as Yale-Princeton football, which dates to 1873.
It isn’t even a result of bad blood.
“We don’t even, like, hate each other,” said Pitt’s Cat Flood, a grad student outside hitter/serving specialist. “I wouldn’t say it’s friendly, but I wouldn’t say it’s rooted out of hatred. It’s really just rooted out of deep competition and the ‘want’ to win so bad.
“We fight for the same things. We expose each other’s weaknesses. That’s usually how it goes.”
Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly told TribLive: “I think early we didn’t really think of it as a rivalry, but it has just kind of evolved into that. … We have a really high respect for their program and what they’ve been able to do, and it’s been huge for both of us to have two teams in the same conference on the rise at the same time.”
There it is. Busboom Kelly, in her eighth year as Louisville’s coach, cracked the code. For the past seven years — coinciding with Busboom Kelly taking over as the Cardinals’ coach — Pitt and Louisville simultaneously have been arm-wrestling for ACC supremacy and national glory.
The teams will write the next chapter of their story at 7 p.m. Friday at Petersen Events Center when the No. 1 Panthers (17-1, 7-1 ACC) host No. 4 Louisville (16-2, 8-0).
To Busboom Kelly’s point, consider the following when tracing the brief-but-eventful history between the teams:
• Since 2017, they have met 12 times in ACC play, splitting 6-6.
• In the same span, Pitt or Louisville has shared the ACC title or won it outright every season.
• They have split their two NCAA Tournament meetings.
• In the past three seasons, Louisville has made two appearances in the national semifinals and Pitt three.
• Since 2021, both teams have spent time atop the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
“It seems like the past few years, every time we play them, there was either (NCAA Tournament) hosting implications on the line or potential ACC championship,” said 12th-year Pitt coach Dan Fisher. “So this year is no different, and we expect a great match.”
Added Pitt sixth-year outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez: “It’s the game we’re looking forward to in season. … It’s always a battle. It’s never an easy win against them. We love playing against them, and we want them to play good.”
For the vast majority of the season, Louisville has been plenty good. Its only losses came at Penn State and at home against traditional powerhouse Nebraska, where Busboom Kelly won a national title as a player.
The Cardinals bring an eight-match winning streak to the Pete, five via 3-0 sweeps. Defense has been the key to their success. Louisville ranks second nationally at 3.10 blocks per set, led by redshirt junior middle Cara Cresse, who is fifth in the nation at 1.61 blocks per set.
The back line is anchored by one of the best libero/defensive specialists in the country, senior Elena Scott. Scott was a second-team AVCA All-American in 2023.
Busboom Kelly, as a former libero, appreciates defense, and she has been pleased with the way the Cardinals’ has performed.
“I definitely feel like that was a big reason why we lost to Pitt twice (regular season, NCAA Tournament) last year,” she said. “We’re very defensive-minded, and our defense was way below what we were used to, so it feels good to be back to our brand of volleyball.”
The Cardinals can play a little offense, too. With grad outside hitter Anna DeBeer and senior outside Charitie Luper both averaging better than 3.00 kills per set, Pitt’s blockers will have their hands full.
“I think both of our teams are very aggressive offensively,” said Pitt senior libero/defensive specialist Emmy Klika. “There’s not a lot of tip-fest, slow rollers. Both teams go for it in the front row. They’re always looking to crush the ball.”
To wit, Pitt leads the nation in hitting percentage at .346. Sophomores Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford spearhead the attack, each averaging more than 4.00 kills per set and hitting well over .300.
Pitt also prides itself on defense, leading the nation in opponent hitting percentage (.099). In last weekend’s win over No. 5 Stanford, Pitt held the Cardinal to a paltry .090 percentage.
And if the Louisville attack does get a shot past Pitt’s net-front players, Klika is there to clean up. Fisher calls her the best libero he has ever had, and Klika is looking forward to playing opposite Scott.
“Obviously, I have a lot of respect for her, and she’s a great player,” Klika said. “We kind of talk about it here when we’re preparing for games: win your positional battle. Can you bring more for our team than the other team’s girl in your position?”
Pitt is expecting a crowd approaching the nearly 12,000 who showed up for the match against Penn State on Sept. 18. As of Tuesday morning, Pitt officials said around 8,000 tickets had been sold.
So even the public is catching on to this new rivalry. The Penn State crowd, in fact, eclipsed the previous Pitt volleyball record for attendance, which was set last season. Against Louisville.
And here’s one more potential twist in this tale: This year’s final four will be contested at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center. So the Cardinals could be celebrating a national title in front of their home fans, or Pitt could be dancing on the floor of its rival.
“I think they’re a very gritty team,” Busboom Kelly said. “You never win the game until that last point has been played. You never know what can happen or when they can get a spark. I think they’re an emotional team in a positive way.”
Added Flood: “To me, it means more than the Penn State rivalry. We are so equivalent to them in power, talent and coaching staff, training … their depth. We match up so well on the court.
“It just has to be the best rivalry because we both want to win so bad.”