Meske era starts for U of L volleyball with No. 4 Cards seeking another ring

By RUSS BROWN Photos By UofL Athletics

If Dan Meske needed a reminder of the expectations he had inherited entering his first season as Louisville’s head volleyball coach, which of course he doesn’t, he got one before the first attack or kill of the regular season. 

Following a 3-1 exhibition win over their Alumni All-Stars in L&N Credit Union Arena, his players were able to flash their gaudy Final Four rings distributed during a post-game ceremony. 

Meske got one too, having earned his third while helping Dani Busboom Kelly lead the Cardinals to unprecedented heights as associate head coach, with three Final Four appearances in the last four seasons, including national runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2024. 

Now he will try to add another ring from the top of the program, but he noted that the pressure he feels isn’t necessarily due to the high bar that has been set for the program. 

“The pressure for me is to provide an experience where people continue to grow their love for the game,” said Meske. “That is what I feel immense pressure to do. When people come into this program, if they start losing their love for the game, that’s when I got to start having a long look in the mirror. And I thought that as an assistant coach and as a head coach. I also use that as a guide. 

“So when you talk about pressure of where our team is at, for me the pulse of the team is where the program is at from a love of the game and love of each other’s standpoint. And if that’s being done at a high level, everything else like that tends to take care of itself. So yeah, I feel an immense amount of pressure and responsibility with this role to keep the culture and to keep the joy and the love that we have for this team and for this game.” 

Meske, a native of the Chicago area, has head coaching experience with two years at Augustana College after starting as an assistant for eight seasons at Nebraska. The transition from Busboom Kelly -- who departed after last season to become head coach at Nebraska, her alma matter -- appears to have been seamless, with Meske keeping the rest of the staff intact. 

U of L was ranked No. 4 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll, an indication that close followers of the sport believe Meske can maintain the program’s elite level as a national powerhouse. The only three programs voted ahead of Louisville were No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Penn State and ACC rival Pittsburgh. The Cards were picked to finish second to Pitt in the league. 

Louisville returns a solid core, including three starters, from last year’s 30-6 club that fell to Penn State in the NCAA championship match in the KFC Yum! Center. 

Sophomore setter Nayelis Cabello, sophomore outside hitter Chloe Chicoine and redshirt senior middle blocker Cara Cresse were all named to the preseason All-ACC team. Cabello was the ACC Freshman of the year in 2024, while Cresse was named an honorable mention All-American. She and Chicoine were chosen on the Women’s U23 team for the Pan American Cup competition in August. The U.S. finished 3-0 to win the gold medal and Chicoine tied for the second-leading scorer with 10 points (9 kills, 1 block). 

The other returnees are Ava Utterback, Kamden Schrand, Jessica Drapp, Hannah Sherman, Molly Urban, Alanna Bankston, Payton Petersen and Reese Robins. The Cards signed senior transfer Molly Wilson, Washington’s two-year starting setter, along with four freshmen -- outside hitter Chloe Meester (Mt. Vernon, Iowa), middle blocker Addison Makun (Silver Creek High, Sellersburg, Ind.), setter Hannah Kenny (Villa Park, Ill.) and middle blocker Kalyssa Blackshear (Lomita, Calif ). 

U of L opened the season on Aug. 29-31, hosting Auburn, Morehead State and St. John’s in the Cardinal Classic at L&N Arena. The Cards will be tested early, with a neutral site match against No. 5 Texas in Ft. Worth on Sept. 10, a road match vs. No. 12 Creighton on Sept. 12, and No. 7 Kentucky in the KFC Yum! Center on Sept. 18. U of L will face two other preseason Top 10 teams in No. 3 Pitt (Oct. 19, H; Nov. 26, A) and No. 6 Stanford (Nov. 29, H).