By Derek DeBurger

No. 5 Louisville downs the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal for another top-10 victory on the season.

Slow starts and strong finishes

Louisville started the match like they have many times this season, by falling into a hole, as Stanford scored four of the first five points.

The Cards were able to find their footing and allow the game come to them. They took a 7-6 lead, primarily off of errors from Stanford. For the rest of the first set, Louisville would remain in the lead, even ending the set on a 6-0 run.

Louisville won the first 25-16.

After dominating the first, the Cards found themselves in yet another hole to start the second set. The Cardinal took the lead 1-3, then 2-7 and finally 5-12.

After a timeout taken by Dani Busboom Kelly, Louisville went on a massive 10-1 run to take the lead 15-13. During this run, Charitie Luper recorded seven of the Cards’ 10 kills.

After tying the game up at 17 points apiece, the two team would trade point for point until the Cards finally broke the streak by scoring three-straight to push the set to 24-22, set-point.

Two serves later, Louisville would win the set 25-23.

The third set was the only of the day in which Louisville would get out to a good start by scoring the first two points. This good start would prove to be the difference in the set as the two teams went back and forth for almost the entire third.

There were only four runs of three or more consecutive points scored by a team, and the final 10 points of the set were scored by opposing teams, one after the other.

Luper continued her dominance from the second and Anna DeBeer stepped up in a major way, too, with both players recording five kills in the third.

The difference in the set was discipline, as Stanford recorded nine errors in the third.

Louisville would win the third 25-22, sweeping the match.

Super Luper

Louisville found ways to win however was needed. Each set was won by a different x-factor, showing the versatility this Cardinals squad has.

Luper was a woman possessed Sunday, recording 19 kills and two blocks that resulted in points.

Louisville now sits at 10-2 on the year and 2-0 in the ACC. Louisville’s win over the Cardinal marks their second top-five victory on the season, and their third top-10.

Photo Courtesy // Louisville Athletics