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The 2021 Louisville volleyball team’s quest for perfection came up just two wins short.
The top-seeded Cardinals were on the losing end of a 5-set thriller Thursday night in Columbus, falling to No. 4 Wisconsin (25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-9) in the national semifinals. The best season in program history concludes with a 32-1 record.
Dani Busboom Kelly, after being named the National Coach of the Year, reacts to U of L Volleyball falling to Wisconsin 3 sets to 2 in an NCAA National Championship Semi-Final, its only loss of the season. 2 short of the program's first national title. @wlky pic.twitter.com/RByVK6mlkS
— Fred Cowgill WLKY (@FredCowgillWLKY) December 17, 2021
As much as this stings now, we’ll be talking about the accomplishments of the past four months for a long time. The unbeaten run through the ACC, the eight wins over top 10 opponents (Kentucky, Nebraska, Purdue, Pitt twice and Georgia Tech three times), Dani Busboom Kelly’s national Coach of the Year accolades, and finally, the program’s first trip to a Final Four.
More than anything else, though, this team was a source of joy for a Cardinal fan base desperate for something overwhelmingly positive to latch onto. For that, we’ll always be indebted to this group.
Thanks for the memories, Cards. I’m sure your support group will be even larger for the next run.