By Ashley Trosper
Over the past week, the No. 11-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team defeated three tough opponents, improving their undefeated record to 6-0.
The Cards beat their in-state rivals, the University of Kentucky Wildcats, on Sept. 7 with scores of 30-18, 30-26 and 35-33. In this game, junior outside hitter Ana Yartseva had 11 kills and 10 digs in the U of L sweep at Cardinal Arena.
“I want to thank all of our fans for filling the arena and making a true home court advantage for us,” said Head Coach Leonid Yelin.
“It is always good for the sport of volleyball to have a competitive rivalry and this was a very exciting match.”
The Cardinals continued their winning streak on Sept. 9 by defeating the University of Illinois 30-20, 30-28 and 30-26 as a part of the UNLV Classic.
“Illinois is well-coached and a strong program,” Yelin said. “Any time you manage to beat the Big Ten in volleyball it is a great win.”
Shortly after, on Sept. 10, U of L managed to knock off No.-22 ranked Long Beach in Las Vegas at the UNLV Classic. Senior Lena Ustymenko had 21 kills and 12 digs in the 3-game sweep.
“We had to retool the lineup when we lost a starter, and it is not easy to do when the learning curve comes against a respected coach and a top-25 opponent,” Yelin said. “So to come away with a win is awesome. It was a very hard-fought game.”
Next, the Cards will face Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 16 as a part of the University of Miami Tournament.
