This year’s tournament marks the first time since 2008 that each No. 1 seed has advanced to the tournament semifinals and the third straight year that Pitt and Louisville have met in the NCAA tournament.
Although the Cardinals lead the series 20-18, the Panthers have had the Cardinals’ number recently, holding a four-match win streak. Pitt won both matches during the regular season, handing Louisville two of its five regular season losses.
Here’s a look back at each Pitt-Louisville NCAA tournament matchup:
Dec. 9, 2023 — Regional Finals: Pitt, 3, Louisville 2
The Cardinals were a set away from reaching its third-straight semifinal appearance, leading 2-0 heading into the third set.
That’s when Pitt came alive, outscoring Louisville 65-42 in the last three sets to complete the reverse sweep against the Cardinals and reach its third straight semifinals.
Rachel Fairbanks racked up 48 assists in the win, which was the second-most in program history in an NCAA tournament match. Torrey Stafford dropped her fourth double-double of the year with 18 kills and 11 digs.
Dec. 15, 2022 — Semifinals: Louisville 3, Pitt 2
Louisville beat Pitt in a five-set thriller to reach its first-ever national title match, where they eventually were swept by Texas.
Alongside posting a season-high with 19 kills, Elena Scott, Phekran Kong and Anna DeBeer set career-highs as well. Scott finished with a career-high in digs (28) and tied her career-best in aces (5) and assists (8).
Kong set a career-high in blocks (11), and DeBeer recorded a career-best in aces (5).