By RUSS BROWN
When I asked Louisville volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly recently about what her expectations are this season from her team, I got a somewhat surprising answer. No coach speak. No sandbagging. No hesitance. Just this blunt opinion:
“One of the best teams we’ve probably ever had.”
Really? Because that takes in a lot of territory.
Starting her eighth season at UofL, Busboom Kelly, 39, has compiled a remarkable record that includes a 178-37 (.828) overall record; a 115-18 (.865) mark in the ACC, with four championships; an NCAA Tournament bid every season; two Final Fours in the last four years; two Elite Eights and an undefeated regular season in 2021.
In volleyball terms, she’s killing it. And there are plenty of reasons for her unbridled optimism this season, or “more of the same,” as she puts it.
The Cardinals return a wealth of experience from last year’s 27-5 team that advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to ACC rival Pittsburgh in five sets. The embarrassment of riches includes five starters, six other veterans, two graduate transfers and a quartet of highly-regarded freshmen. Talk about depth.
Heading the returnees is outside hitter, fifth-year senior and reigning ACC Player of the Year Anna DeBeer, a much-decorated four-year starter who was Kentucky’s Ms. Volleyball at Assumption High under legendary coach Ron Kordes. DeBeer played in all but one set in 2023, racking up a team-high 392 kills, along with 28 aces, 275 digs and 34 blocks, all of which ranked among the top three, on her way to being named a second team All-American.
Also back is senior outside hitter Charitie Luper, who transferred from UCLA last year and earned first-team All-ACC honors with 344 kills, 27 aces, 242 digs and 45 blocks while playing in 115 of the 117 sets. The other three returnees are middle blocker Phekran Kong, who transferred from Washington last season; junior setter Elle Glock, who played in 113 sets and had the best serving percentage on the team at .964; and redshirt junior middle blocker Cara Cresse, who was second in digs and third in points scored (349) kills (264). In addition, senior Elena Scott, a Mercy Academy product, returns at libero (defensive specialist). Cresse and Scott played on the U.S. National Team this past summer.
The two transfers are Mexican native Sofia Maldonado Diaz and setter Brigitta Petrenko from Coastal Carolina. Diaz is a 6-0 right side hitter who started all 31 matches for Arizona last season, led the Wildcats with 396 kills and was second in digs (255) and aces (30). Petrenko, an Eger, Hungary native and a member of the Hungarian National Team, led Coastal with 1,011 assists and 50 service aces. She has 3,488 career assists.
“I’m very excited about the potential for this team,” Busboom Kelly said. “I think we have one of the deeptest teams we’ve ever had here. There’s going to be some position battles that might take awhile to iron out. That will raise the level for everybody, so that’s an amazing problem to have.
“The beauty of having an older returning team is that they know it takes, the amount of work they have to put in throughout the season to be successful. Then you have some younger players and some new players who could play a significant role. I feel like that combination usually leads to some really good culture and success.”
In her four seasons at UofL DeBeer (she was awarded a fifth year under the NCAA pandemic eligibility policy) played on teams that compiled a 105-12 record and advanced to two Final Fours, an Elite Eight and a Sweet Sixteen, so she certainly should be able to judge how the current squad stacks up. And she thinks her coach’s analysis is on target.
“I think once we get going and get all the pieces together, this team could definitely be one of the better ones,” DeBeer said. “I have full faith in us. I know it’s really early and we have a long way to go, which is a good thing because we don’t want to be peaking now. We want to be peaking when it matters. I am fully confident in what we can do. I want to think it can be the best team.”
In summer workouts and early preseason practices, Luper has been impressed with UofL’s depth and believes the blending of veterans and newcomers has been a smooth one.
“I think it’s a good mix,” she said. “Our lower classmen (younger players) don’t play like lower classmen and they don’t act like lower classmen. They can hang with us. They play like upperclassmen. When we have side A vs. side B in practice, both sides look like a starting lineup. That’s how hard we go in practice and it’s how good we are as well.”
With the Final Four scheduled for Dec. 19 and 22 in the KFC Yum! Center, the Cards are focused on raising the national championship trophy in front of hometown fans. However, Busboom Kelly points out that having the tournament in their backyard could be a double-edged sword.
“My biggest concern with this team is the pressure that comes with the Final Four being here,” she said. “There will be a lot of outside pressure to get there. Can they overcome that?”
Both DeBeer and Luper think so.
“I definitely see where she’s coming from,” DeBeer said. “And I do think there will be some added pressure. Everyone will be looking at us like, ‘it’s in Louisville, Louisville better be there.’ Those kind of fears and pressure do creep in a little bit. It’s the elephant in the room. But we know it’s not going to be easy to get there; it’s so hard every year. It’s super exciting, but we also know we have a ton of work to do and we’re not taking anything for granted.”
Said Luper: “I don’t see it as a pressure situation. I see it as something we’re just super grateful for because not everybody gets the opportunity to have a Final Four in their hometown. We have a team of strong, confident girls. So I think we’re going to do just fine. I honestly don’t see that as being a problem.”
The Cards will face a challenging schedule, both inside and outside the ACC. They will open on Aug. 27 in the AVCA First Serve Showcase in the Yum! against Wisconsin, a national semifinalist two of the last three years. They will host Tennessee on Sept. 1 and meet Penn State on Sept. 3 in the Northern Kentucky Invitational. The nonconference schedule also includes a trip to Kentucky on Sept. 18 and a home game against perennial power and Busboom Kelly’s alma mater, Nebraska, on Sept. 22.
UofL will host new ACC member Stanford, another powerhouse program, on Sept. 29 after tipping off league play against California, another former PAC-12 team, on Sept. 27 in L&N Arena. During the ACC grind, the Cards will travel to the West Coast for a rematch with Stanford, and will play Pitt home-and-home in addition to a number of other tough league matches.