Watch: Louisville HC Jeff Walz 'Thrilled' to Reach Sweet 16 vs. Michigan

The Cardinals are in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.

Mar 1, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Walz reacts to a call during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at KFC Yum! Center. Notre Dame defeated Louisville 65-62. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville's men's basketball program might have been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament, but their women's hoops program is still dancing.

The Cardinals were able to kick off their run in the Big Dance at home in the KFC Yum! Center, taking down Vermont 72-52 in the first round, and then Alabama 69-68 in the second round to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2023. If UofL is going to reach the Elite Eight, the only thing standing in their way is a matchup with Michigan from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tex.

"I'm thrilled for the kids," head coach Jeff Walz said. "It's a first for our roster to be competing in a sweet 16 when you think about it. It was three years ago we were in the Elite Eight, so we revamped, players have graduated, players have moved on in the portal, and now we're back with a core group who's getting this experience. I think it's, it's very valuable.

"We're on our 17th NCAA Tournament that we've had the opportunity to compete in, and to be able to say we've now competed (in the Sweet 16) in 13 out of 17, it's pretty darn good. I think it speaks volumes for just what we've been able to establish year in and year out, and then the type of players that we've been able to bring in and and develop."

Earning a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament and ranked as the No. 9 team in the AP Top 25, Michigan has blazed through the Big Dance up to this point. The Wolverines easily dispatched Holy Cross 83-48 in the first round, then followed that up with a 92-63 victory over NC State in the second.

Walz knows his third-seeded Cards will have their hands full when it's time to do battle this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EST.

"They've got great guards," Walz said. "Olson, Swords and Holloway, their 1-2-3, are outstanding. ... I know how competitive this game is going to be. Their leading scorer averaged more, but we're similar in the fact that you've got six or seven that are going to score for them. But they've got two of them, like we've got three or four, that they can go off for 20. Olson and Swords were dynamic in the NC State game. We know it's it's going to be a game that we're going to be challenged at, for sure, on the defensive end."

On Monday, Walz took time to meet with the media. He discussed their path to get to the Sweet 16, previewed their upcoming showdown with Michigan, and more.

Below are the video from their press conferences:

Head Coach Jeff Walz

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(Photo of Jeff Walz: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)