vermont women’s basketball will face the University of Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 12 p. m. ET. The University of Vermont arrives as a No. 14 seed after winning the America East Championship by defeating the University of Maine on March 13, then traveling to Kentucky on Thursday to prepare for a game on Louisville’s home floor. With the crowd expected to tilt heavily toward the Cardinals, Vermont head coach Alisa Kresge says preparation has focused on poise, communication, and embracing the moment rather than fearing it.
Vermont Women’s Basketball draws Louisville on the Cardinals’ home court
The matchup is set: Vermont will take on Louisville in a Round of 64 meeting on Saturday, March 21 at 12 p. m. ET, with the game broadcast nationally on. Louisville enters as a No. 3 seed and is also identified as No. 13 in tournament context, with the contest scheduled on the Cardinals’ home court in Kentucky.
For Vermont, it is another step in an NCAA run that has become more frequent. This is the second straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Catamounts and the third under Kresge. In last season’s first-round game at NC State, Vermont was down six at the start of the fourth quarter before the deficit grew into a 20-point loss.
Kresge framed that experience as a reference point, not a burden.
“I think we came in with the mentality at NC State like, ‘OK, this is not the first time this team is doing it, ’” said Alisa Kresge, head coach of the University of Vermont women’s basketball team. “Our players were always bought in, and [encouraged] not to be afraid of the moment, not to be afraid of length or athleticism or all of these teams that you see on TV and everyone’s picking to win a national title. ”
Defense vs. offense: Vermont’s 51. 4 points allowed meets Louisville’s near-80 pace
The clearest statistical clash is the scoring profile on each side. Vermont enters allowing 51. 4 points per game, a figure described as fourth in the nation. Louisville, meanwhile, brings a balanced scoring attack putting up a top-20 mark of nearly 80 points per game.
That contrast is exactly why Saturday’s noon ET tip is drawing attention: the Catamounts’ ability to slow the game meets a Louisville offense that has produced consistently. Kresge emphasized that the environment, as much as the opponent, is part of the challenge.
“They’re on their home court, ” Kresge said. “They’re bigger, stronger, quicker, whatever it may be, but we’re Vermont, and we know who we are, and we gotta own that, and we’re going to use that to our advantage as best we can. ”
In the middle of preparation, vermont women’s basketball has leaned into a practical focus: being able to function in a loud, unfamiliar setting where normal bench communication may not carry.
Inside the preparation: crowd noise, hand signals, and staying connected
Kresge said her staff has been simulating game-day conditions during practices, including amplified crowd noise to force sharper on-court communication. The goal is to reduce the “surprise factor” when the ball goes up Saturday afternoon in Kentucky.
“We actually have been playing crowd noise in practice, ” Kresge said. “We gotta figure out how to use hand signals and how our players have to be extra connected. [The players] can’t hear the bench as much, especially when they’re on the opposite side of the floor. ”
Louisville’s tournament experience is also part of the backdrop. The Cardinals are making their 15th straight NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Jeff Walz, and the program has made the tournament in 16 of his 18 seasons as head coach.
Quick context and what’s next at 12 p. m. ET
Vermont secured its place in March Madness by winning the America East Championship on March 13 against Maine, then traveled to Kentucky on Thursday to prepare for the opening-round game. Louisville, established as a consistent tournament program under Walz, will have home-court support as the game begins at 12 p. m. ET on Saturday, March 21.
Next is straightforward and immediate: tipoff at noon ET, with Vermont stepping into a high-volume environment and Louisville aiming to keep its tournament streak moving. For vermont women’s basketball, the task is to translate preparation into execution on the road, starting with communication, defensive identity, and the first possessions that set the tone.
