LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In a match where the scoreboard showed a loss, Louisville volleyball delivered something just as valuable as a win: validation.

The fourth-ranked Cardinals hadn't faced a ranked opponent through their 4-0 start. But under the bright lights of national TV — and the brighter expectations that faced the team entering the season with a No. 4 national ranking — they pushed No. 2 Texas to the brink before falling 3-2 in a thriller Wednesday night in the Showdown at the Net Challenge in Fort Worth.

The Longhorns rallied from a 14-13 deficit in the fifth set, scoring the final three points to win it 16-14. It marked Texas' second comeback from at least points down in a fifth set this week — having done the same to No. 5 Stanford just days earlier.

Louisville | Kentuc

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