NKyTribune staff
The University of Louisville volleyball team has released its 2020 home schedule, and the Cardinals will play nine matches in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena and another contest in the KFC Yum! Center.
Louisville also visits Highland Heights for a three-day tournament at Northern Kentucky University Sept. 4-6. The Cardinals (22-10 last season) will face NKU on Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. in Regents Hall.
Prior to the match with NKU, Louisville will play Missouri on Sept. 4 at 4:30 p.m. in Regents Hall, and then face South Dakota on Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Louisville returns six starters, including All-American Aiko Jones, from a team that finished 22-10. (UofL photo)
NKU is the defending Horizon League Tournament champion and posted a 19-13 record last season. Missouri finished 22-8 and earned a trip to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, while South Dakota advanced to the championship match of the National Invitational Volleyball Tournament and posted a 31-3 record a year ago.
Louisville returns six starters, including All-American Aiko Jones, All-NCAA Regional setter Tori Dilfer and All-Atlantic Coast Conference middle blocker Anna Stevenson. The Cardinals add a nationally ranked recruiting class to the squad.
UofL begins the home season by hosting in-state rival Kentucky on Sept. 16 in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. The Wildcats captured the Southeastern Conference championship last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. UK finished with a 25-7 record.
The Cards then begin the ACC campaign with home matches against Miami (Sept. 25) and Florida State (Sept. 27). The Seminoles tied for third with the Cardinals in the ACC a year ago, while Miami boasts ACC Player of the Year Olga Strantzali and two-time All-ACC second-team honoree Elizaveta Lukianova.
The next home match is against Boston College. The Eagles have flourished under second-year coach Jason Kennedy, who led the team to its first-ever postseason bid with an invitation to the 2019 National Invitational Volleyball Tournament.
Louisville faces Pitt in an ACC showdown on Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. Pitt is coming off a historic year that saw the Panthers ranked as high as No. 2 nationally after running the ACC table.
The Cardinals meet Notre Dame on Nov. 28 in L&N Arena. The two rivals will clash just a day before the NCAA announces the pairings for the 2020 tournament. The Irish return four All-ACC honorees in Charley Niego, Zoe Nunez, Sydney Bent and Caroline Meuth.
(Information compiled from Louisville and staff reports)
