NC State volleyball fell to the No. 5 Louisville Cardinals in a tough match on Friday, Nov. 4. 

The Wolfpack (12-12, 6-7 ACC) had a tough time getting around the Cardinals’ (21-2, 12-1 ACC) block throughout the match. Louisville showed off its power from the start, taking the first set 25-11, but the Pack kept the game somewhat even in the second set as it fell just short, 25-21. The third set was similar to the first with Louisville taking a quick lead and finishing the match 3-0 with a score of 25-16. 

Set one started with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Martyna Leoniak, but soon it was all Louisville as the home side took a quick 8-3 lead over the Wolfpack. An ace by senior setter Kristen McDaniel lifted NC State to a double-digit score halfway through the set, but the team could not respond after that. Louisville controlled all the momentum and took a 1-0 lead. 

The showdown featured the top two blocking teams in the ACC, but the Cardinals showed their higher ranking as they tallied four block assists in the second set. The second set started off optimistically for the Wolfpack as an ace from junior setter Naomi Cabello during a 5-0 scoring run gave State a 7-3 lead. Unfortunately, Louisville responded and took the lead on a 6-1 run of its own, eventually winning the set 25-21. 

The third set was a slow one for the Wolfpack as it could never get a solid run on the Cardinals. Louisville took a quick lead and even went on a 4-0 scoring run to make it 11-3 in their favor. The red-and-white responded with four block assists but still fell behind and eventually lost the set and the match.

The Wolfpack hopes to move past this loss as it travels to South Bend, Indiana to play Notre Dame on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m.