COLUMBUS, Ohio — Louisville carried their undefeated record into the Final Four in Columbus, but the team was unable to extend it Thursday night. No. 4 Wisconsin beat the top-seeded Cardinals 25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-9 in the NCAA women’s volleyball semifinals.
Louisville ended its memorable season 32-1 after advancing to its first Final Four in program history
"It's just one of those special groups that you just never want it to end," Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. "It's hard to know that it comes to an end."
As a team, the Cardinals had 63 kills, hitting .230 with five aces, 69 digs and 11 blocks. Anna DeBeer recorded a season-high 20 kills and Anna Stevenson was second on the team, recording 12 kills on 25 swings.
Before the game, Dani Busboom Kelly was named National Coach of the Year and received a six-year contract extension.
Wisconsin, playing in its third straight semifinal, now advances to its fourth championship match on Saturday. The Badgers lost to Nebraska in 2000, Penn State in 2013 and Stanford in 2019.
Wisconsin's Smrek, at 6-foot-9, posted a season-high in kills at a .741 clip — with just one error. Fellow big, and Wisconsin’s star senior, Dana Rettke added 14 kills with eight blocks and Grace Loberg had 13 kills.
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