Pitt vs. Louisville volleyball: Preview, how to watch the 2024 NCAA women's volleyball tournament semifinal
📺 How to watch
Pitt and Louisville meet for the third straight year in the NCAA Tournament
- 🗓️ Date: Thursday, Dec. 19
- ⏰ Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- 📺 TV: ESPN
- 📍 Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
- 📊 Follow: Live scores and stats
👀 Players to watch
The Panthers and Cardinals could field an entire starting lineup with the amount of awards the two teams combined for this season.
And with it being such a star-studded affair, it will be critical for big players to make big plays in big moments. Here's a look at two players that will arguably determine whether their respective teams will reach the championship.
Pitt: Sophomore Olivia Babcock
Babcock's sophomore season was one for the books, leading the ACC in kills per set (4.59) and service aces per set (0.65). Additionally, she ranked top 10 in blocks per set (1.15).
Her play has progressed in the postseason, which is difficult to say after she was named ACC Player of the Year. She won Most Outstanding Player in the Regional and has notched 69 kills in the postseason alone, backed behind her 31-kill performance against Oregon, an NCAA tournament record.
26 KILLS FOR FIVE! That's a career high‼️
— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB)
📺 ESPN2
Louisville: Graduate student Anna DeBeer
DeBeer has one of the most decorated resumes in program history, becoming an integral part of the Cardinals' success since she stepped foot on campus in 2020.
The outside hitter led Louisville in kills this season and became the fourth player in program history to reach over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Alongside her All-Regional team honor of Most Outstanding Player, DeBeer has notched over 15 kills in the last three matches — leading the team in the regional semifinal and final matchups.
Surprisingly, her career-high in kills (22) came against Pitt in 2021.
Set 2 | Louisville 11 - Stanford 3 (1)
— Louisville Volleyball (@LouisvilleVB)
COME ON 🫨🫨🫨
📺 ESPN2
📝 Match preview
Louisville and Pitt were not only two of the top teams in the ACC but at the top of the country's food chain all regular season — combining for just six losses and comfortably sitting in the top 5 from start to finish.
And neither team has taken their feet off the gas pedal in the postseason, outscoring their opponents 12-2 (Pitt) and 12-3 (Louisville). The two prestigious programs have met 38 times before, but have met just twice in the NCAA tournament, both coming in the last two seasons.
Even though the Panthers took the regular season series, sweeping Louisville 2-0, the two ACC juggernauts are 1-1 in the postseason.
- 🔵🟡 Pitt
- Biggest postseason test: No. 4 Oregon
- In a five-set battle that went down to the wire, the Panthers edged out the Ducks behind Olivia Babcock’s career-high of 31 kills
- Three players named to the All-Regional Team: Babcock (Most Outstanding Player), Rachel Fairbanks and Emmy Klika
- Babcock was named ACC Player of the Year
- Has reached the NCAA tournament semifinals in the last four straight years
- Never reached the championship
- Biggest postseason test: No. 4 Oregon
- 🔴⚫️ Louisville
- Biggest postseason test: No. 8 UNI
- Dominant season nearly came to an end in the second round against UNI, surviving a five-set match and winning the last one, 22-20.
- Three players named to the the All-Regional Team: Anna DeBeer (Most Outstanding Player), Charity Luper and Elena Scott
- Scott named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Nayelis Cabello named ACC Freshman of the Year
- Has made the NCAA tournament semifinals in three of the last four years
- The program’s lone championship appearance was in 2022
- Biggest postseason test: No. 8 UNI
📊 Stats breakdown
| Category | Pitt | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Record (Conference) | 33-1 (19-1) | 29-5 (17-3) |
| Team Hitting % | 0.332 | 0.271 |
| Opponent Hitting % | 0.127 | 0.142 |
| Assists per Set | 13.07 | 12.42 |
| Service Aces/Errors | 223/209 | 163/263 |
| Digs per Set | 12.58 | 14.02 |
| Blocks per Set | 2.87 | 3.1 |
| Top Individual Kills | Olivia Babcock (505) | Anna DeBeer (394) |
| Top Individual Assists | Rachel Fairbanks (1014) | Elle Glock (649) |
| Top Individual Blocks | Bre Kelley (154) | Cara Cresse (164) |
🛣️ Road to the semifinals
The Panthers and Cardinals have met in the postseason for two straight seasons. Here's a look at both teams' journeys to the 2024 semifinals:
| Pitt | Round | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Def. Morehead State, 3-0 | First | Def. Chicago State, 3-0 |
| Def. No. 8 Oklahoma, 3-0 | Second | Def. No. 8 UNI, 3-2 |
| Def. No. 4 Oregon, 3-2 | Regionals | Def. No. 4 Purdue, 3-0 |
| Def. No. 3 Kentucky, 3-0 | Regionals final | Def. No. 2 Stanford, 3-1 |
⚔️ Series History
This year’s tournament marks the first time since 2008 that each No. 1 seed has advanced to the tournament semifinals and the third straight year that Pitt and Louisville have met in the NCAA tournament.
Although the Cardinals lead the series 20-18, the Panthers have had the Cardinals’ number recently, holding a four-match win streak. Pitt won both matches during the regular season, handing Louisville two of its five regular season losses.
Here’s a look back at each Pitt-Louisville NCAA tournament matchup:
Dec. 9, 2023 — Regional Finals: Pitt, 3, Louisville 2
The Cardinals were a set away from reaching its third-straight semifinal appearance, leading 2-0 heading into the third set.
That’s when Pitt came alive, outscoring Louisville 65-42 in the last three sets to complete the reverse sweep against the Cardinals and reach its third straight semifinals.
Rachel Fairbanks racked up 48 assists in the win, which was the second-most in program history in an NCAA tournament match. Torrey Stafford dropped her fourth double-double of the year with 18 kills and 11 digs.
Dec. 15, 2022 — Semifinals: Louisville 3, Pitt 2
Louisville beat Pitt in a five-set thriller to reach its first-ever national title match, where they eventually were swept by Texas.
Alongside posting a season-high with 19 kills, Elena Scott, Phekran Kong and Anna DeBeer set career-highs as well. Scott finished with a career-high in digs (28) and tied her career-best in aces (5) and assists (8).
Kong set a career-high in blocks (11), and DeBeer recorded a career-best in aces (5).