APPEARANCE. W-L-K-Y’S DOMINIC GATES HAS MORE. OVER VOLLEYBALL HAS REACHED UNPRECEDENTED HEIGHTS DURING DANI BUSBOOM. KELLY’S SIX YEARS AS HEAD COACH. ONCE YOU KNOW THEY’RE ALLOWED TO COME TO MATCHES WHEN WE ARE IN THE YUM! AND THEY CAN FEEL THE INTENSITY AND THEY SAW SOME GREAT MATCHES, THEY’RE HOOKED AND THEY WANT MORE. THIS PAST SEASON, THE CARDINALS MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL DAY OF THE COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL SEASON, APPEARING IN ITS FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FALL TO POWERHOUSE TEXAS. I REALIZE HOW HARD IT IS TO REACH FINAL FOUR, AND ESPECIALLY TO DO IT IN BACK TO BACK YEARS. SO TO BE ABLE TO STRING TOGETHER MULTIPLE YEARS IN A ROW IS PRETTY AMAZING. THE CARDS LOST THREE ALL-AMERICANS TO GRADUATION, BUT ADDED PIECES FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND THE TRANSFER PORTAL. THEY ALSO HAVE THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP, A FORMER ASSUMPTION STAR, ANNA DEBEER AND AIKO JONES, WHO RETURNED FOR A SIXTH SEASON TO GET ONE MORE YEAR WITH THESE COACHES. AND THIS PROGRAM AND THIS PLACE WITH THESE PEOPLE. AND TO DO MY FAVORITE THING, IT WAS LIKE, HECK YEAH, I’M GOING TO DO IT. U OF L ENTERS THE SEASON RANKED NUMBER FOUR IN THE COUNTRY AND THE FAVORITE TO WIN ANOTHER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP WHILE EMBRACING THE EXPECTATIONS. TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER, WE KNOW WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THERE AND WE’RE HUNGRY FOR MORE. SO WE’VE BEEN THERE AND I THINK THIS TEAM HAS WHAT IT TAKES AND JUST THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL FOR EVERYONE WHO’S BEEN THERE. I THINK IT’LL BE REALLY EXCITING. JUST KNOWING THAT WE CAN BE THERE AND JUST HANDLING ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT CO
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Louisville volleyball embracing pressure as it prepares for 2023 season
After appearing in the national championship, how will the Cards follow it up?
Louisville volleyball has reached unprecedented heights during Dani Busboom Kelly's six years as head coach."Once they're allowed to come to matches," Busboom Kelly said. "When we're in the Yum! (Center) and they can feel the intensity, and they saw some great matches, they're hooked, and they want more."This past season, the Cardinals made it all the way to the final day of the college volleyball season, appearing in its first national championship, falling to powerhouse Texas."I realize how hard it is to reach the Final Four and especially to do it in back-to-back years," Busboom Kelly said. "So to be able to string together multiple years in a row is pretty amazing."The Cards lost three All-Americans to graduation but added pieces from high school and the transfer portal.They also have the senior leadership of former Assumption star Anna DeBeer and Aiko Jones, who returned for a sixth season."To get one more year with these coaches, this program and this place with these people, and to do my favorite thing, it was like, 'Heck yeah, I'm going to do it,'" Jones said.UofL enters the season ranked No. 4 in the country and the favorite to win a fifth ACC championship in Busboom-Kelly's tenure.While embracing the expectations to go one step further."We know what it's going to take to get there, and we're hungry for more," DeBeer said, "So we've been there, and I think this team has what it takes and just the experience level for everyone who's been there. I think it'll be really exciting just knowing that we can be there and just handling all of the challenges that come our way within the whole season."UofL opens the season next Friday, hosting Troy.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Louisville volleyball has reached unprecedented heights during Dani Busboom Kelly's six years as head coach.
"Once they're allowed to come to matches," Busboom Kelly said. "When we're in the Yum! (Center) and they can feel the intensity, and they saw some great matches, they're hooked, and they want more."
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This past season, the Cardinals made it all the way to the final day of the college volleyball season, appearing in its first national championship, falling to powerhouse Texas.
"I realize how hard it is to reach the Final Four and especially to do it in back-to-back years," Busboom Kelly said. "So to be able to string together multiple years in a row is pretty amazing."
The Cards lost three All-Americans to graduation but added pieces from high school and the transfer portal.
They also have the senior leadership of former Assumption star Anna DeBeer and Aiko Jones, who returned for a sixth season.
"To get one more year with these coaches, this program and this place with these people, and to do my favorite thing, it was like, 'Heck yeah, I'm going to do it,'" Jones said.
UofL enters the season ranked No. 4 in the country and the favorite to win a fifth ACC championship in Busboom-Kelly's tenure.
While embracing the expectations to go one step further.
"We know what it's going to take to get there, and we're hungry for more," DeBeer said, "So we've been there, and I think this team has what it takes and just the experience level for everyone who's been there. I think it'll be really exciting just knowing that we can be there and just handling all of the challenges that come our way within the whole season."
UofL opens the season next Friday, hosting Troy.