“He is a defensive mastermind,” said Tori Dilfer Stringer after Dan Meske was promoted to lead Louisville volleyball back in January. With the departure of Dani Busboom Kelly to take over the Huskers’ program, Meske, who has been around with the Cardinals for eight seasons, was placed at the top. Like many, the All-American setter believed that the top brass made the right call to find DBK’s replacement. But now, Dilfer will have more chances of helping the new head coach than just sharing verbal laurels for the latter.

The Cardinals have had one of their best times under Kelly’s reign. In the past three years, Louisville has made two trips to the national championship match, underscoring the program’s incredible potential in the country’s collegiate volleyball landscape. And now, the chances of winning the NCAA title just got better, with the addition of one special alum.

An article from August 5 shared on the official Louisville website notes that “Two-time University of Louisville All-American setter Tori Dilfer Stringer has joined the Cardinal volleyball staff as Offensive Consultant.” A brilliant addition to the team, indeed! It was Dilfer who helped the Cardinals reach their first NCAA national semifinal match in 2021, and Tori’s return to the campus in her new role will only bolster the possibilities of taking things to the next level.

A multiple-time All-American honoree, Dilfer Stringer comes with an abundance of experience. Naturally, the excitement at the Louisville camp is high. “Tori will be instrumental in shaping our offense while also supporting our athletes as they navigate their own professional careers,” said Coach Meske of Dilfer’s addition to the staff as the offensive consultant. Meske’s big hopes about the Louisville alum making waves aren’t baseless, either.

Dilfer played for Texas Christian and Louisville during her NCAA career and amassed several accolades at both programs. At TCU, she earned a spot on the All-Big 12 second team, thanks to the remarkable performance in her sophomore year, when she racked up 1,134 assists. Things got only better when she moved to UofL.

Dilfer was named to the AVCA Third Team All-American in 2020, and in 2021, she became Louisville’s first-ever first-team All-American volleyball star. That year, the 2x ACC Setter of the Year attained the milestones of 2,675 assists and 501 digs as a Cardinal and was also a Honda Sport Award Finalist. Tori also trained with the 2021 US Collegiate national team and represented the USA at the 2023 Volleyball Nations League.

After her collegiate career, Dilfer went pro and played for Athletes Unlimited, after which she signed a one-year contract with Wealth Planet Perugia Volley of Italy’s Series A1. In 2024, she returned home to play for Atlanta Vibe in the Pro Volleyball Federation and was then traded to the Columbus Fury. Goes without saying, the new offensive consultant will surely help the Louisville roster continue building on its legacy.

But while Tori will look to take her alma mater all the way to national triumph, a familiar foe stands in her way.

Louisville will have to take on its former boss

The Cardinals’ volleyball program flourished under Dani Busboom Kelly. A Nebraska alum, Kelly is also the 2006 national champion, who learned the tricks of the trade from the legendary John Cook during their time together at Lincoln. The 2021 AVCA National Coach of the Year joined Louisville as the head coach in 2016, after a brief stint as the assistant coach in 2011, and has helped to reshape the program in the most brilliant way imaginable.

And yet, when the Huskers called for aid after Cook’s retirement announcement in January, Kelly could hardly say no. Now, back at her alma mater, Kelly has already got the ball rolling for the road ahead, and along with training hard with the athletes, she is also spending some quality time with the roster away from the volleyball court to forge deep bonds with her girls. But the moves she made at Louisville continue to give the Cardinals momentum.

Last year, Louisville suffered a hefty 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nebraska in September. But can Dilfer, Meske & Co. help to even the score should the two teams cross paths this time around? What do you think?