Louisville Cardinals and Penn State Nittany Lions (Image via: Both images Getty)

NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship 2024 Final: Louisville vs Penn State records, head-to-head and prediction

Modified Dec 21, 2024 15:04 GMT

Penn State and Louisville's Women's Volleyball teams are all set to clash on Sunday (Dec 22) at the KFC Yum Center with the 2024 NCAA Championship on the line. The event is scheduled to start from 3 PM ET and will be streamed on ABC.

The Nittany Lions are coming on the back of a huge win against the tournament No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers. They defeated the Huskers by a margin of 3-2 with their senior player Jess Mruzik scoring 26 kills in the match. Lousiville Cardinals, on the other hand, defeated Pittsburgh in their semifinal clash on Thursday by a margin of 3-1. Their outside hitter Anna De Beer produced an impressive performance during the match and scored 14 kills.

Statistically, Penn State is also the more in-form team coming into the finals with an overall record of 34-2 so far this season and is still unbeaten at home whereas Louisville holds a record of 30-5 in 2024. However, the Cardinals have lost just two matches on their home turf, making them a tough candidate to deal for the Lions in the finals.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley's side also recently emerged to be the joint winners of the Big Ten Conference title where they shared the trophy with Nebraska and will look to conquer their seventh national title and their first since 2014. Meanwhile, The Cardinals will eye their first NCAA Championships under their coach, Dani Busboom Kelly.

Penn State vs Louisville Women's Volleyball: Head-to-head record and predictions

The Nittany Lions during their clash against Nebraska in the semis of the NCAA Championships (Image via: Getty Images)

This clash between the Nittany Lions and Lousiville Cardinals will be the second encounter between these two teams. Their only matchup before came in September during the AVCA First Serve Showcase where the Lions emerged victorious 3-0.

The overall head-to-head numbers are also in favor of the Lions currently with eight wins out of their ten encounters against Louisville. Notably, the Lions have also got the better of the Cardinals twice on their home turf. The Cardinals' last victory against the Lions came last season in Lousiville where they defeated Penn State by a margin of 3-0.

Going by the string head-to-head record and recent run of form, Lions is the more tempting side to rely in the finals. Moreover, the presence of experienced campaigners such as Taylor Trammell and Jess Mruzik also makes them suitable candidates in this matchup.

Prediction: Penn State Nittany Lions to win 3-2

Penn State and Louisville: Full squads

Cardinals during their semifinal clash against Pittsburgh Panthers (Image via: Getty Images)

Penn State: Taylor Trammell, Gilliam Grimes, Jordan Hopp, Camryn Hannah, Anjelina Starck, Caroline Jurevicius, Izzy Starck, Quinn Menger, Ava Falduto, Karis Willow, Kate Lally, Jess Mruzik, Jocelyn Nathan, Alexa Markley, Catherine Burke, Maggie Mendelson.

Lousiville: Ava Utterback, Kamden Schrand, Charities Luper, Elle Glock, Sofia Diaz, Nayelis Cabello, Phekran Kong, Hannah Sherman, Jessica Drapp, Cara Cresse, Anna DeBeer, Sam Untiedt, Molly Urban, Elena Scott, Payton Peterson, Reese Robins, Alanna Bakston.