Nicole Perroni an All-American (Again)
Cards Send a Boat to Grand Finals
Photo from @LouisvilleROW on X |
Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast
Until next time, Go Cards!
Photo from @LouisvilleROW on X |
Until next time, Go Cards!
Prior to her time at Louisville, the Georgia native played three seasons for Georgia State. She then played her senior season and COVID-19 eligibility season here in the Ville.
During her stint with the Cards, Hess tallied 106 hits, 57 rbis, 63 walks, and 31 stolen bases. She also hit over .330 and had an on base percentage of over .350 both seasons.
We are grateful to be able to catch up with Hess to talk about her time at Louisville, her decision to come to Louisville, her uture plans, and so much more. You can watch the entirety of the video below.
Happy Friday and Go Cards!
Jared
Hello Cardinal fans
Daryl again on a Thursday morning. I think Jared and Paulie have been working on sharing some new content for us which I believe they will share Friday and I'm looking forward to that...so I gladly traded writing days with Jared.
Looking ahead towards summer months... I was chatting with a coworker earlier this week about some of my favorite uniforms we've seen out of each program over the years so I thought it would be fun to pick some out and also an opportunity to share some of the images captured by our own Jared Anderson over the last school year.
In alphabetical order... first up,
The pinks!!!
These uniforms really stand out to me because of the pink accents on the black base of the uniforms. I don't think we have another program that does the pink out game quite like hockey!
Lacrosse
The classic whites with red accents!
My favorite part of these uniforms is the solid red stripe on the bottoms. Its a small touch but I think it really stands out and gives the uniforms that extra pop of red it needs.
Louisville has 6th Ranked Recruiting Class
Imari Berry, photo courtesy of GoCards |
Jeff Walz is working his magic again. While we already knew most of the freshmen planning to join Louisville women's basketball next season, the ESPN recruiting rankings put the Cards as the sixth-best in the country.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz and Co have focused more on the transfer portal with players such as Kianna Smith, Emily Engstler, Morgan Jones, Chrislyn "CC" Carr, Kiki Jefferson, and many more. The 2021-2022 season saw transfer Engstler and Chelsie Hall play a key role in helping Louisville get to its fourth Final Four in program history. As the game has changed, so has Walz.
Mackenly Randolph, photo courtesy of GoCards |
But Jeff Walz is also known for his ability to recruit talented freshmen and develop them into top-tier players that make a name for themselves in the pros. Some of the four-year players recruited by Walzz that we have seen have major success at Louisville and beyond include Becky Burke, Mo Reid, Asia Taylor, Sara Hammond, Myisha Hines-Allen, AD Durr, Sam Fuehring, Jazmine Jones, and Dana Evans. This doesn't include players at Louisville prior to the Walz Era or players who either transferred in or out. See where I'm going with this?
The bulk of Walz's success has come with the recruitment and development of players. Adding a transfer or two can certainly help round out a roster, but his bread and butter has always been the long term players. It comes as no surprise that Walz has scratched the idea of stocking up on as many talented transfers as possible to go back to what has been successful for him, especially after a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament this past season.
Taj Avant-Roberts, photo courtesy of GoCards |
The incoming freshmen class for the 2024-2025 season is arguably one of his best ever. The confirmed incoming players include:
Imari Berry, guard (ESPN #19)- Berry is a do-it-all guard that withdrew her commitment from Clemson following the coaching change and switched to Louisville,
Mackenly Randolph, forward (ESPN #23)- Randolph is the daughter of former NBA player Zach Randolph and a small forward that has shown signs of strong rebounding skills.
Reagan Bender, photo courtesy of Go Cards |
Izela Arenas, guard (ESPN #88). Arenas is the daughter of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. She was named "Queen of the Court" after winning a one-on-one showcase held in Atlanta last summer.
Anaya Hardy,photo courtesy of X.com |
Isla Juffermans, forward- Juffermans is a bit more unknown compared to the others, due to her being the only international player on this list. The Aussie native is a true post player that can step into the role of either a forward or a center.
Izela Arenas, photo courtesy of Louisville Report |
Anaya Hardy, forward- Hardy was a walking double-double in her high school days and showed improvements with her blocking during her summer stint in the Under Armour Association circuit.
Adding this star-studded lineup to an experienced crew of Oliva Cochran (fifth year), Merissah Russell (fifth year), Jayda Curry (senior), and Nyla Harris (junior) puts Louisville into an immediate position for success. We can't wait to see how the Cards fare next season.
Isla Juffermans, photo courtesy of Instagram |
Happy Monday and Go Cards!
Jared
Photo per UofL Athletics |
Until next time, Go Cards!
Louisville softball supporting baseball |
Riley Frizell |
Daisy Hess |
The ACC Softball Tournament is also going on but not for the Cardinals.
BC got the 1-0 win over Syracuse to keep their season alive and face #4 seed Duke tomorrow and Notre Dame also advanced to see another day set to face #2 FSU.
WNBA season opener coming up!
As Always
Go Cards!
~Daryl
CARDS VOLLEYBALL GREAT TO LEAVE SQUAD/STAFF?
Graduate teaching assistants help faculty members teach undergraduate students. Known as GTA's, they are graduate students that take courses and study in a speciaized field. They do normally have eligibility left to play on teams, but there is word that Jones had been a grad assistant since 2018 has no playong time left. . They can have any number of tasks, from grading papers to helping sports information directors verify and proofread publications about the team.
One listing of the Cards potential Vollleyball roster for 2024, however, still has her listed as a outside hitter on the 2024 squad, so there is a bit of confusion, Aiko's website (aikojnes.com) doesn't really help clear up anything concerning her status, either.
The actual Cards 2024 roster has not been officially released yet, so we'll see what comes up on it for Dani Busboom Kelly's squad. .
Jones arrived at UofL in 2018 and redshirted that season. She was an important contributor to the roster as an outside hitter for five seasons... from 2019-2023.
Jones had this to say about her and her life and status last summer. :
.....The best decision I have ever made was also the hardest and scariest decision I have ever made. It was a decision that would change how people viewed me and how much they respected me. It was a decision that I thought would change my life forever and I was right about that, but I was wrong about what that change would look like. The best decision I have ever made was telling the world a very small detail about me. The best decision I have ever made was “coming out”.
As I write this, I am approaching 24 years old. I am a second-year master’s student in the University of Louisville’s Communication program. I have a dog and a cat, and I love to bake. I like puzzles, I love learning, and I wish I were ambidextrous. I am also engaged … to the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life. As I write this, I am proud, not of rainbows and labels and pride parades, but of my authenticity and my constant effort to live my truth. As I write this, I am proud to be who I am, and to be her publicly......
Whatever Aiko decides to take on next, we certainly wish her the best of luck here at Cardinal Couple. The old adage is: "You can't keep them forever.." but, in Jones case... she is one that a lot of Cardinals fans wish could remain on campus forever...
paulie
Photo by Jared Anderson |
Photo by University of Louisville Athletics |
Photo by NBC / Getty Images / Justin Casterline |