On Sunday afternoon, the No. 5 Stanford women’s volleyball team was defeated by No. 4 Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, ending their NCAA tournament run and eliminating them from the race for a spot in the semi-finals.
Stanford took an early lead in the match, but Louisville’s dominant blocking allowed them to build momentum and shift the match in their favor. Both teams struggled with service errors, which impacted their performance throughout the game. With a loud Louisville crowd behind them, Stanford fought hard but struggled to catch up to their opponents in several sets.
In the first set, Stanford maintained a steady lead, displaying strong hitting and solid communication. Veterans led the way, with senior middle blocker Sami Francis and junior outside hitter Elia Rubin contributing key kills. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Ipar Kurt also made a significant impact with two important kills. By the end of the set, Francis, Rubin, and Kurt had accumulated 10, 14, and 13 kills, respectively. Despite Louisville’s struggles with attack errors, including challenges over no-touch calls, Stanford won the first set 25-22.
The second set started out even, but Louisville quickly gained the upper hand and widened the gap. Stanford struggled with Louisville’s blocking and was forced to play from further back on the court. As the set wore on, Stanford only managed seven kills and seven attack errors, while Louisville posted 17 kills and just four errors. Stanford lost the second set 14-25.
The third set was closely contested, with both teams trading points. At one point, Stanford managed to tie the score at 16. The set then became a battle for every point, leading to long rallies and tense exchanges. As the score approached 25, both teams held game point multiple times. However, Louisville eventually clinched the set 28-26.
In the fourth set, Louisville jumped to an early lead, and despite Stanford’s efforts to recover, Louisville’s blocking proved too much for the Cardinal to overcome. Stanford ultimately lost the set 20-25, with Louisville winning the match 3-1 and securing the regional title.
While the loss marks the end of their NCAA tournament run, Stanford women’s volleyball had a strong season, finishing with 25 regular-season wins. The team saw five players named to the AVCA All-Pacific Region Team, and senior setter Kami Miner was recognized as the 2024 ACC Volleyball Setter of the Year. Multiple players were also honored with spots on the All-ACC First Team, Second Team, and ACC All-Freshman Team. Stanford was one of only three ACC schools to reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.
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