Louisville vs. Penn State Volleyball: Time, TV Channel, 2024 National Championship Preview

The two programs have played each other just 10 times since their first game in 1982, with Penn State holding an 8-2 record against Louisville. However, this championship fight promises to be a battle between two elite teams with exceptional rosters.

🔴⚫ Louisville

• Louisville leads all DI women’s volleyball teams in blocks per set (3.10).
• Cara Cresse: She ranks seventh nationally with 1.49 blocks per set. Named AVCA Honorable Mention.
• Anna DeBeer: Another AVCA All-American First Team honoree who brings star power to Louisville’s lineup.
• Elena Scott: Named AVCA All-American First Team and semifinalist for Player of the Year.

👏👏👏 @elenaascott was named one of 14 semifinalists for the AVCA DI National Player of the Year award!

Details: https://t.co/IlsqclQOkS#GoCards pic.twitter.com/snf2W8mFXG

— Louisville Volleyball (@LouisvilleVB) November 13, 2024

🦁 Penn State

• Penn State ranks third nationally in kills per set (14.50) and fifth in assists per set (13.53).
• Taylor Trammell: Ranks fifth in batting average (.440) among all DI players. Named AVCA Honorable Mention.
• Jess Mruzik: An AVCA All-American First Team selection and Player of the Year semifinalist.
• Izzy Starck: Named AVCA Freshman of the Year and named to the All-American Second Team.

𝘼𝙑𝘾𝘼 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙃𝙈𝘼𝙉 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 🏆@izzy_starck is the fifth national Freshman of the Year in program history!#We are pic.twitter.com/L6OvS7qOUi

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) December 18, 2024

The championship stage looms ahead of a thrilling ACC-Big Ten showdown as Louisville and Penn State prepare to battle for NCAA volleyball glory. Both teams have momentum and history at stake and promise a game to remember.

🔴⚫️Louisville

• Louisville is in the hunt for history as it seeks its first-ever NCAA title. A win would be monumental for head coach Dani Busboom Kelly, who would become the first woman to win an NCAA Division I volleyball championship as a head coach and the first Louisville coach to win the title.
• In 2022, the Cardinals reached their first NCAA Championship game after defeating ACC rival Pitt in the semifinals, but fell to top-seeded Texas. Fast forward to 2024, when Louisville defeated Pitt again in the semifinals
• A win would make Louisville the first school ever to win the national title as a member of the ACC.

🦁 Penn State

• Penn State, a powerhouse in NCAA volleyball, enters the championship with a storied history of seven national titles, all won under legendary coach Russ Rose. Now the Nittany Lions are writing a new chapter under the leadership of third-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
• Schumacher-Cawley has already made history, becoming the first Penn State coach to lead the team to the championship game since 2017. A win would make her the first woman to win an NCAA Division I volleyball championship as a head coach, along with an eighth title in the program’s illustrious history.
• The Nittany Lions reached the final by avenging their semifinal loss to Nebraska in 2017 with a thrilling five-set victory in 2024, capped by a 15-13 triumph in the final set. This is Penn State’s 11th appearance in the NCAA Finals

Earlier this season, on September 3, Penn State delivered an impressive 3-0 victory over Louisville (25-15, 25-19, 25-13) on its home court. Now the rematch moves to Louisville, where the Cardinals have the advantage of playing at home when they face the Nittany Lions again.

Here are the stats against each other this season:

Penn State dominated offensively with 45 kills compared to Louisville’s 28 and outscored the Cardinals by 17 kills. The Nittany Lions also excelled in ball distribution, recording 42 assists to Louisville’s 26. Defensively, Penn State tallied 46 digs, 11 more than the Cardinals’ 35. Additionally, the Nittany Lions showed remarkable efficiency with a .358 hitting percentage while limiting Louisville to just .091.

Let’s take a look at the comparison of the entire season statistics:

Here are the paths Louisville and Penn State took to reach the championship in the DI Women’s Volleyball Tournament: