The Cardinals concluded their season with a record of 27-5, achieving a hitting percentage of .213, along with five aces and 13 blocks in their defeat. Middle blocker Phekran Kong matched her career-best with 13 kills at a .600 hitting percentage and contributed eight blocks. Outside hitter Anna DeBeer also had 13 kills, added eight digs, and recorded three blocks, while middle blocker Cara Cresse notched nine kills, five blocks, and one ace. Aiko Jones, in her final match as a Cardinal, tallied nine kills, six blocks, and five digs. Setter Elle Glock provided 39 assists, four digs, and one block, and libero Elena Scott finished with 10 digs, four assists, and three aces. Pittsburgh improved to 29-4 this season, advancing to their third consecutive Final Four with a hitting percentage of .286, 11 aces, and 14 blocks. Torrey Stafford led the team with 18 kills, 11 digs, and two blocks, while Olivia Babcock closely followed with 16 kills, eight digs, five blocks, and three aces. In the opening set, UofL initiated a five-point run to take an 8-4 lead over the Panthers, with three points coming from two kills and an ace by Luper. The Cardinals extended their lead to five at 11-6 after a slide by Phekran Kong, prompting a Pitt timeout. The Panthers responded with a 5-2 rally, narrowing the gap to 15-12 as Valeria Vazquez Gomez scored three consecutive left-side kills. Pitt called another timeout while down 19-14 and quickly added two points. A kill from Kong returned the serve to Louisville, but the teams exchanged points. An ace from Vazquez Gomez cut the deficit to two at 21-19, causing Dani Busboom Kelly to call a timeout. Babcock then scored two kills to bring Pitt within one at 22-21. Holding a 23-22 lead, the Cards reached set point following a Panthers service error. Pitt equalized with a Cardinals service error, but DeBeer delivered the decisive back-row kill, helping Louisville secure the first set 25-23. Jones went a perfect five for five in that set, while Kong added two blocks. The Cardinals achieved a hitting percentage of .333 compared to Pitt’s .265, although the Panthers had the advantage in blocks at 3-2.
The second set was marked by nine ties and seven lead changes before the midway point. The Cardinals were ahead 15-14 at the media timeout. Following the break, UofL scored three consecutive points, forcing Pitt to call their first timeout while trailing 19-15. The Cardinals gained some breathing room with a Pitt service error and a kill from Kong, pushing the score to 21-17, which led the Panthers to use their final timeout of the set. Elena Scott then delivered two straight aces, bringing UofL to set point at 24-19. After a missed serve from Scott, Vazquez Gomez aced the Cardinals, but Anna DeBeer clinched the set with a kill, securing a 25-20 victory as they headed into the break. DeBeer was particularly strong in this set, contributing five kills, while Kong and Jones each added two blocks. In the third set, the teams exchanged points, with UofL maintaining the lead early on.
After a block by Kong put the score at 9-7, the Panthers surged ahead with four consecutive points to take a 11-10 lead thanks to a kill by Torrey Stafford. Pitt went into the media timeout with a 15-12 advantage. They extended their lead to five at 20-15, prompting the Cardinals to call timeout. However, the timeout did little to slow Pitt’s momentum, as Stafford added two more kills to reach set point. An ace from Cat Flood secured the Panthers’ first set win at 25-16. Louisville hit .200 compared to Pitt’s impressive .560 in that set.
Pitt maintained their momentum at the start of the fourth set, launching a 5-0 scoring run to establish a 7-4 lead, prompting a timeout from Louisville. After falling behind 11-6, the Cardinals responded with a kill and two blocks from Kong to narrow the gap to two points. However, Pitt intensified the pressure, scoring four straight points to build their largest lead of seven at 15-8, including two blocks against the Cardinals during that stretch. Pitt reached set point at 24-16, but Louisville fought off the winning point three times, forcing Pitt to call a timeout.
Following the break, Babcock secured her 13th kill. Both teams struggled offensively in the fourth set, with Louisville hitting .133 and Pitt only .043, though the Panthers’ five aces proved crucial. In the fifth set, Pitt jumped to a 4-1 lead, fueled by two kills from Babcock. After a timeout by the Cardinals, Pitt continued to dominate and led 8-2 at the changeover. Louisville faced another block, and Vazquez Gomez then scored to extend Pitt’s lead to 10-3, prompting Busboom Kelly to call their last timeout. The Cardinals challenged what could have been match point at 14-5 and succeeded, showing they weren’t finished yet. Two consecutive kills from DeBeer reduced the deficit to seven at 14-7, leading Pitt to take a timeout. A kill by Emma Monks ultimately secured a 15-7 victory for the Panthers.
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