Breakout Candidates for Volleyball -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Breakout Candidates for Volleyball

Jared checking back in this week as we played some musical chairs with coverage this week. All good for everyone here at Team Cardinal Couple. 

With things still pretty slow this summer, we continue to look forward to the upcoming fall seasons. Each season, we see players have breakout years and go well above and beyond what their expectations are. Star players and players that are preseason All-American or All-Conference do not qualify as they are already expected to have big years.

Payton Petersen

With the graduation of key players such as Anna DeBeer, Elena Scott, and Charitie Luper, there are plenty of key roles that need to be filled. Transfer Chloe Chicoine is already a top-tier player with high expectations and returners Cara Cresse and Nayelis Cabello already have preseason and postseason honors to their names, so we won't give them breakout contender marks.

Hannah Sherman has played a backseat role to Cresse and Phekran Kong in past years. PK has graduated so her biggest competition is Cresse. You often rotate a pair of middle blockers in a match so it is Sherman's time to step in and shine. She has shown glimpses of her raw strength in the past and she could be one of the top blockers in the ACC this year.

Hannah Kenny

Payton Petersen played a limited role last year as an outside hitter. She sat behind DeBeer, Luper, Sofia Maldonado Diaz, and Reese Robins, and often only played as a sub in blowout matches. When DeBeer went down, Petersen had a chance to show off what she is capable of and didn't let the fans down. She will see plenty of reps this year and can truly make a name for herself this year.

Hannah Kenny is a true freshman that could see valuable minutes. I think Kamden Schrand gets the nod at libero, but Kenny is similar to Scott in terms of size, versatility, and having a background as a setter in high school. If she cleans up her serve receive a little then she could be fighting for that libero spot by the end of the year.

Hannah Sherman

The Cards are two weeks away from their Red and Black Scrimmage at LN Arena on Friday 6:00pm ET.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards Partner for Kids Running Program -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Track and Field Athletes Give Back

Today's column is a little off the beaten path, but it's inspired by a story I heard on Louisville Public Media's daily morning news podcast. If you aren't familiar with Louisville Public Media, it's the organization that operates WFPL, WFPK, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, and more. It's a great source for local news and they have a neat app. Ok, random pitch over. 

Anyway, the point of this is to talk about the new program being brought to Louisville called Run Your City. Run Your City is a national nonprofit that, according to the website (runyourcity.org) is "dedicated to building an inclusive running community, giving every child - regardless of ability, gender, or background - the chance to grow [into] healthy, confident, and inspired individuals." The purpose of the program is to provide free access to youth athletics by way of a child-centered coached running program. The organization was founded in 2018 in Charlottesville by UVA athletes and has grown significantly since then, including a chapter in Rwanda.

image from Julia Schmitt via LPM

Three Cardinals have come together to bring a chapter to Louisville. Run Your City Louisville will be a free running program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The current plan is to hold weekly sessions on Sundays for six weeks. The Louisville teammates bringing this program together as co-presidents are Riley Griffith, Julia Schmitt, and Layla Roebke. Griffith and Schmitt are redshirt freshman while Roebke recently graduated. All three are cross country and distance track runners. Their goals for the program are to teach about proper running techniques, how to work as a team, and balancing nutrition and exercise. The co-presidents are also joined by UofL students (and teammates) Emma Heckel, Madeleine Seaby, Brooke Lahee, and Lauren Bettencourt. 

Here is a link to the full LPM article, which is absolutely worth reading. One of the main things that stood out from it was the discussion on the inequity of youth sports. Having nieces and nephews currently in the youth sports scene, I definitely understand all that comes with it. Outside of the outright equipment and team costs, there is also time and travel for numerous events and practices. Even having been bombarded with fundraising for various teams, I was struck by the statistic shared from a 2022 Aspen Institute study which says that the average American family spends nearly $900 per year per child for a single season. The wording of that was a little tricky, so I went to the study source and broke it down some. The reported cost in fall 2022 was an average of $883 spent in a year for a single season of a single child's primary sport. That's a lot of money!

Even just looking at that figure, it seems obvious that it would be inequitable across children of different backgrounds, but the study breaks it down further. As the family income rises, so do the costs for travel. Extrapolating, that would imply that affluent families are taking talent even farther away from families with fewer resources, somewhat diluting the talent and experience of others. Families making $150,000 or more spent 65% more on travel than families making between $50,000 and $149,999, while they spent 83% more on travel than families making less than $50,000. The study (linked in the article and here) breaks the numbers down even more across different demographics, but the point is clear: Run Your City can offer an extremely valuable opportunity.

 

stats from Run Your City

Children with access to youth sports don't just experience improved physical health, but improvements to mental health, sociability, and future successful outcomes. Louisville is not alone as a city with an issue in this area, but it is stark. According to Southwest YMCA regional sports director David Oliver, who oversees all YMCA sports programs in west and south Louisville, cost is a significant driver for those programs being much smaller than in other YMCA regions. Even the registration costs can be a deterrent. 

Riley Griffith said it best when quoted by LPM: "We really just want to give  opportunity to get out there and be a part of something and have a fun, low-pressure experience with sports, so that even if they don't stick with running, even if they don't stick with sports, they get to have that opportunity.” 

I can't think of a better statement that I'd rather see from an ambassador for my alma mater. I wish the very best to Griffith, Schmitt, and Roebke as they get the program off the ground and hope for continued success for the program in future years. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Days Until Each Sport -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Days Until...

As we wind down the days of July, we quickly approach August, which will put UofL sports on the composite calendar. All three of the major women's sports for the fall are on the schedule for August.

Soccer

16 days until the first regulation match against Auburn on the road

23 days until the first home match against Detroit Mercy

Volleyball

17 days until the first scrimmage, Red vs Black

32 days until the first regulation match against Auburn

Field Hockey

24 days until the first scrimmage against Bellarmine

31 days until the first regulation match against Michigan State

We hope to have as much in-person coverage as possible  at the home events for each of the 'Big Three'. We are aware of some changes with media credentialing this season, but do not believe this should impact us as we do not cover football or men's basketball.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Campus update -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

Good morning 

Its remains a sports news desert so playing off of Paulie's venue post from Sunday's Cardinal Couple,  here are some pics I snapped over the last few weeks when walking around campus... most likely on my way to get coffee or lunch.  There was no way I wasn't braving walking around in the heat for no reason. 

Ulmer Stadium

L&N Arena 

Jared and I think this is some newbie vball players heading to class

Outside Ekstrom Library facing the quad

Move in days is scheduled for August 13-17th with classes beginning Monday, August 19th.   I will be elbows deep onboarding faculty this week.   Make it a great week! 

As Always, 
Go Cards 

~Daryl 

The Louisville women's Fall Sport that you'll follow the most? --SUNDAY CARDINAAL COUPLE

 SIX WOMEN'S FALL SPORTS MAKE UP THE UOFL LINEUP

Louisville women's sports is getting closer for the fall season. By this time next month, we'll be actively following Cards Women's Soccer, Field Hockey, Cross Country, Golf, Swimming and Track and Field.

The Cards have had a lot of outstanding players grace these fields (and bodies of water) over the years. And...Louisville has some excellent venues where the Cards compete. I challenged a friend the other day to match up the sport with the facility. She did well, getting four out  of six right. How would you do? 

--Lynn Stadium

--UofL Club

--Ralph Wright

--Trager Field

--Cardinal Park

--Tom Sawyer

(answers at end of column)

How many of these places have you been to follow UofL women's sports? And. how many are on campus? See if you can correctly match the sport up with the location and your attendance. 

I have been fortunate to watch Cardinal women's sports at all six. If you are still having trouble with the alignment, I'll make it easier for you by naming a player that has performed for the Cards at a venue.

--Lynn Stadium...Charlyn Corral

--UofL Club...Lauren Hartlage

--Tom Saywer ...Lauren Bettencourt

--Cardinal Park...Synclair Savage

--Ralph Wright...Gabi Albiero

--Trager Field...Jessica Javalet

The Cards participate in the ACC in all six sports. A trip down Floyd Street on the UofL campus will take you by Lynn, Trager, Cardinal Park and Ralph Wright. Three of the facilities are outdoors and have press boxes, one is an indoor participation venue. 

The Cardinal Couple crew has actively covered events at these venues and you fund plenty of articles and photos of the Cards in action at them. We hope to see you out there in 2025. A poll of our Cardinal Couple columnist indicated that volleyball was their favorite of the UofL fall women's sports. 

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCAST

Our old banner from the days of WCHQ

Daryl, Case and myself were on yesterday's podcast of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast. We had a lively discussion on quite a few different subjecst as we draw closer to fall sports. Check it out at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CviS6U8K-XA&list=PL1b1cLmDIkuqdZZ6JxJjQnvKVWnHWVOIy&index

Answers: 

Lynn Stadium -- women's soccer

UofL club -- golf

Ralph Wright -- swimming

Trager Field -- Field Hockey

Cardinal Park -- Track and Field

Tom Sawyer -- Cross Country

paulie

 

One Month to Go -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

All Fall Sports in Action Soon

As the calendar gets ready to turn to August next week (which feels incredibly soon), that means that all of the primary fall sports that we cover here at Cardinal Couple will be in action within a month. While we are still a few days out of that being true for actual "competition," every team has a scheduled event by August 23rd.

Women's soccer will be the first to get underway, with matches on the road at Auburn and Vandy. As is typical, Louisville is likely to play a couple of closed scrimmages before those matches against SEC teams, but we're very unlikely to learn anything other than the fact that they happened. Karen Ferguson-Dayes's squad will actually return to Lynn Stadium for their first home game before the other two sports play their first scheduled matches, as the Cards take on Detroit Mercy on August 21st. 

That will be a busy weekend, as volleyball and field hockey will get started then as well. Field hockey will host their first scrimmage against Bellarmine on the 22nd and we'll get our first taste of fall volleyball under Dan Meske on August 23rd for the Alumni Match. 

So far I've held off on giving my full prediction of the Louisville women's soccer season in writing, even though I've discussed it at length on the show. I'll keep milling on it for another week, but you can expect my thoughts about the upcoming campaign as we turn the calendar. 

As the summer slump finally winds down, we'll be keeping our eye out for the Louisville Fall Sports Media Day, where we'll get to hear from all of the coaches about their thoughts on their teams entering the season. Once we hear it, we'll be sure to share those thoughts with you here at Cardinal Couple. All three teams have some reasons to be optimistic, so we'll see just how chipper the coaches are at the event. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll have three this week (really, this time), as Paulie, Daryl, and I will bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics. We'll talk about the news that was over the past week, as there is only so much prognostication we can do about the upcoming fall sports seasons. Check out the show after it posts around 1PM, and be sure to subscribe so that it comes to your feed automatically. 

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

VB preseason watchlist -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Goooood morning readers and welcome back to the weekend.  Finally.  

Some small tidbits coming out of the sports world regarding the Cardinals.  Pre-season watchlists sure to come rolling in as we got a pair to keep our eyes on this season for the Volleyball program.  

VolleyCARDS

UofL middle blocker Cara Cresse and new outside hitter Chloe Chicoine have been named to the AVCA D1 PotY Watch List, presented by Nike Volleyball.  

Cresse and Chicoine are two of 30 standout athletes selected from 20 institutions to appear on the watch list. UofL is one of just nine programs to boast multiple honorees.

Chicoine is a transfer from Purdue who joined the Cardinals last January. This summer she was named by USA Volleyball to the 2025 Women's U23 National Team for the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 25-August 2 in Leon, Mexico. Last year, Chloe started in all 34 matches as a sophomore at Purdue, tallying 363 kills, good for second on the team, while hitting 0.220. She averaged 3.08 kills per set, which was second on the team as well. She was second on the team in digs with 348, averaging 2.95 per set. She aced 19 times, third best on Purdue last season, while adding 42 assists and 33 total blocks, four of those being solos. Chloe notched a career-high 22 kills in a loss against Nebraska on Oct. 11th, 2024. Chloe notched eight games with 15+ kills. Chloe was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, AVCA All-Region First Team – Midwest and All-Big Ten Preseason Honors.

Cresse was also named to the U23 National Team and joined Chicoine for the Pan American Cup. Last year Chloe Chicoine was named by USA Volleyball to the the 2025 Women's U23 National Team for the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 25-August 2 in Leon, Mexico. As one of the best blockers in the country, Cara finished ranked seventh nationally in blocks per set with 1.50 last year. Cresse took home awards as an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, and AVCA All-South Region Team member, and an All-ACC Second Team member. She was also named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14. Cara played in 118 sets and recorded 6+ blocks in 18 different matches. She hit .323 on the season with a team leading 177.0 blocks, 192 kills, and three service aces. Cara recorded 6+ blocks in 18 different matches, including 10 at Miami, 11 at SMU and 14 against Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Another great year academically for Cara landed her once again on the Academic All-ACC team.

Cheers to the weekend!!! 

In the spirit of Friday, the program announced another partnership with a neighboring local brewery, Goodwood announced its version of a blonde ale.

I definitely plan on trying it!  Blondes are my favorite beers at the moment.  It is supposed to come out right before football season so it should hit shelves in the next coming weeks.

    The program announced another blonde ale a few years back and its been available at games and liquor stores around town.  

As Always, 

Go Cards

~Daryl 

More Academic Honors for Lacrosse -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Lax Recognized by IWLCA

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the stellar academic season the Louisville lacrosse program had as it pertained to All-ACC Academic honors. The Cards had 23 honorees, if you'll remember, which was a program record. That recognition has moved beyond the ACC to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. The IWLCA announced their Division I Academic Honor Roll yesterday and Louisville placed 12 student-athletes on the list. 

The IWLCA Honor Roll is for upper classmen (juniors, seniors, and graduate students) that have maintained a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. Including the 12 Louisville players, the list includes 1,163 student-athletes from 124 different institutions, which is a testament to the academic accomplishments of lacrosse programs across the country. 

Louisville was also named as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad, which recognized the team's 3.65 GPA for the 2024-25 academic year. Louisville's individual honorees and their majors are below:

Aubrey Bagenstose (psychology/history)

Ava Coyle (marketing/finance)

Maggie McMahon (business administration/sport administration)

Negai Nakazawa (sport administration)

Tiffany Natoli (biology)

Erin Nicholson (accounting/finance)

Ashley Osborne (nursing)

Cece Reilly (communications)

Marley Scott (business administration)

Abby Scully (communications/management)

Izzy Seikel (marketing)

Izzy Szejk (communications/strategic communications and social media)

Congratulations, again, to these Cardinals on their accomplishments!

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

How will transfer guards strengthen Louisville WBB? -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SCOTT, JONES BRING EXPERIENCE AND SKILL TO CARDS BACK COURT.

We've seen a lot of good guards on the University of Louisville Women's basketball team over the years. In looking at the upcoming squad...the current guard contingent consists of Reyna Scott, Imari Berry, Rebecca Graves, Peyton Bradley, Reagan Bender, Taj Roberts and Skylar Jones. 

Reyna Scott

Today we look at Scott and Jones. Both come to the Cards from other programs where they had success...Jones from Arizona and Scott from Oklahoma. Scott is a New York City native and Jones out of Chicago.  

Both should be key factors in the Cards 2025-26 season. Jones averaged almost 11 points a game for the Wildcats and also led the team with 52 steals. Scott averaged 5.3 a game with the Sooners.

Skylar Jones

The two come into a situation where their skills and experience will be quite useful in complementing the play of Taj Roberts, Imani Berry and Mac Randolph. 

Scott was a 2022 McDonalds All-American nominee and Jones led Arizona in steals last season. 

Peyton Bradley

It'll also be interesting to see how Peyton Bradley mixes in with this group. A 2025 Courier-Journal First Team All-State selection, she averaged 28.2 points a game her senior year at Meade County High School. She also shoots 42% from three-point range, which will keep defenses honest anytime she enters a game. Bradley will add depth to the backcourt, and contribute to the up-tempo, aggressive style of play. 

The Cards should be a key contender for ACC WBB title, along with Notre Dame. The things they can learn in the summer months about their teammates will be essential toward the overall success of the squad.

paulie

Jared Looks at Volleyball Schedule -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Take Court in One Month

The last of the 'Big Three' women's sports that take place in the fall that we cover at Cardinal Couple is Louisville volleyball. The VolleyCards are typically the last of the women's sports to kick off their season as is the case this year. UofL has a scrimmage in a month on August 23 but won't truly start until August 29.

Louisville hosts the Cardinal Classic by welcoming Auburn, Morehead State, and St Johns to LNFCU Arena. While the Eagles won their conference last year and made the NCAA Tournament, they were quickly disposed of by Pitt. The other two did not make it. Louisville should open the season 3-0.

A road trip to Fort Worth for a primetime match-up against Texas will be next. Most likely, ESPN or ABC will take this one. The Longhorns are a powerhouse program and the Cards have traded off wins in the past. Playing on the road this early in the season while still adjusting to the departure of players like Anna DeBeer, Charitie Luper, and Elena Scott, this will be a battle with the Cards falling on the wrong side.

The road trip continues with a three-match stint in Omaha against Creighton, Northern Iowa, and Rice. This will be the continuation of a brutal stretch for the Cards, especially three matches in three days, that I think Louisville will take a loss, possibly two. I'm giving the Cards the benefit of the doubt and give them two wins on the weekend to improve to 5-2.

Returning home, Louisville gets to play at the KFC Yum! Center for the first when they host rival Kentucky. The Cards have had the Cats' number the last few seasons and they should continue that this season with a crowd of 10,000+. Western Kentucky makes a visit to the Yum shortly after. The Hilltoppers have had a history of being a strong program, but Louisville owned the all-time series 19-0 and I see that streak continuing. Wins against in-state foes propels the Cards to 7-2.

ACC play begins after that with the Cards hosting Boston College and Syracuse. Louisville goes back to LNFCU Arena for these matches and I see the Cards cruising along to two wins.

A trip out west comes next with Louisville visiting California and Stanford. The Cards should be able to handle Cal but Stanford will be another tough match and a possible top-10 match-up. Louisville traded wins with the Cardinal, each taking a win at home in the regular season. UofL took another win at Freedom Hall to advance to the Final Four. Playing out west, this is a time we will see Stanford get some revenge. Louisville will return home 10-3.

A four match homestand comes next with Virginia Tech, Virginia, SMU, and Pitt visiting. Surprisingly, all four will be held on campus. SMU was a 2-seed last year and Pitt was a 1-seed, showcasing the strength of the ACC. Louisville should handle the Hokies and Cavaliers fairly easily unless their eyes are looking too far into the future. While SMU will be a challenge, playing at home will help playing in the favor of the Cards for a win. Pitt will be the toughest test. The Panthers swept the regular season over the Cards before UofL claimed the most important match in the Final Four... the one where DeBeer went down... and advanced to their second ever championship appearance. Without DeBeer and Scott on this squad this year, I think Pitt comes in and steals a win. Louisville will come out of this stretch 13-4.

Louisville hits the road against Duke, North Carolina, and Notre Dame next. UofL swept all of them last year and they should have no problem cruising along to easy wins again and improve their record to 16-4. Louisville turns around for a quick home match for Notre Dame, another should-be-easy-win.

The Cards quickly hit the road again to visit NC State and Wake Forest. These are a couple middle of the pack ACC teams that the Cards should be able to handle, improving their record to 16-4. 

Louisville comes home to host Florida State and Miami. The Seminoles and Hurricanes are both teams that regular sit right behind Louisville, Pitt, Georgia Tech, and Stanford. I see the Cards getting challenged some but pulling off victories in both.

One final road trip on the season sees the Cards visiting Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Pitt. The Yellow Jackets are a tough team and one of the best in the ACC. This will be a difficult road test that I think the Cards grind out. Clemson has been one of the bottom teams in the ACC in volleyball that UofL should handle well. Playing at Pitt for their Senior Day is a tall task. Pitt defends their home court well and I think the Panthers win that one.

UofL closes out the regular season at home against Stanford at the KFC Yum! Center. I think UofL rides the energy of the crowd downtown on Senior Day to get the win. The Cards will close out the regular season 21-5 and ranked in the top five in the country.

At worst, I see UofL being a 2-seed with the ceiling being a 1-seed. This should be another Elite Eight visit at the minimum with a good chance to go further.

We plan to continue coverage of them this fall.

Many of the regular photographers that cover UofL games

(Photos by Jared)

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

WNBA at a glimpse -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Goooood morning readers 

A big HAPPY BDAY to my husband 😍  Who has accumulated a nice little collection of former Cardinals' WNBA jerseys over the last few years.   

This year, he was gifted the great Myisha Hines Allen new gear.  Jerseys are definitely a regular in his wardrobe rotation and I've said before that the WNBA product is really of great quality.  I really like the bright neon lines of the Wing's  jersey.    

The WNBA All-Star break was this weekend in Indianapolis.  It was Team Clark vs Team Collier with the Collier squad hailing victorious 151-131.   Napheesha Collier lead all scorers with 36 points and 9 rebounds in 19 min on the floor.

No Cardinals on the rosters this year, unfortunately.  

The league will get back to its regular season schedule on Tuesday. 

As Always, 
Go Cards

~Daryl 

 

COULD WBB HOLD A SUCCESSFUL THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT? --SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 HOW ABOUT  A WOMEN'S THE BASKEBALL TOURNAMENT?

Angel McCoungtry would have been fun to watch in a women's The Basketball Tournament

Always great to get a chance to watch basketball in the middle of July, even if it is on the men's side of the ledger and the single-elimination The Basketball Tournament. 

If you've watch any of the games, Louisville has a team called The Villians. THE VILLE TBT squad is a men's team, based on University of Louisville men's basketball team players trying to take down the $1 million dollar prize for winning the event against 60 other teams based on schools or cities. The Ville knocked off their first opponent...Boston vs. Cancer on Saturday. Always great to see games in Freedom Hall. Some of my best basketball memories were in Freedom Hall, men and women's games. 

Could The Basketball Tournament work on the women's side? 

Imagine Asia Durr on a Louisville women's The Basketball Tournament team!

The idea is an intriguing one. One would think Louisville, Kentucky and/or IU could definitely field women's teams for such an event...but could the event raise a 32 team or larger tournament , single elimination and could the find a sponsor to get close to the $1 million grand prize for the eventual winner...which the winning men's team receives. ? 

Could the get network television coverage for such an event, and, most importantly, would they be able to get sizable crowds to attend games, like the men  have been able to do for the men's games in Freedom Hall? 

Imagine a UConn WBB The basketball Tournament team. 

One would think the women might be able to get a competitive field of schools for send an alumni team. Certainly names like UConn, Stanford, Texas, Oklahoma, Memphis, Mississippi St, and many other school-based teams would be willing to hire a coach and enter a team. 

The Louisville team would be an interesting nucleus. what players would you like to see on it?

And, would WNBA plyers be willing to take a few games off their WNBA team game to participate in it? 

There is the premise, Feel free to leave a comment on whether you would like to see and watch and attend a women's The Basketball Tournament.

CARDINAL COUPLE Radio HOUR PODCAST

Case joined me...on the weekly Cardinal Couple Radio Hour podcast Saturday. It was a lively show and we covered a lot of topics. Check it out at the link below: 

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCAST

paulie

Cardinals Suit Up for Team USA -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Field Hockey Cards at Senior Nexus Championship

As we've become accustomed to, the University of Louisville is well represented at the USA Field Hockey Senior Nexus Championship. The event which brings together the athletes who trained at seven Senior Nexus Training Sites takes place this weekend in Virginia Beach. The event is part of the Team USA camp program to develop talent for the USA Field Hockey program for World Cup and Olympic competitions. 

This year, nine Cards are on site for the event, including two newcomers to the program. Returning players are Izzy Bianco, Emily Eaton, Lauren Masters, Sophia Parker, and Rylie Wollerton. A few of those names will be familiar to Cardinal Couple readers who have heard of this event before. Bianco, masters, and Parker have been part of the Team USA pipeline for a number of years. Also joining that group are two redshirt freshmen: Alessia Cicuto and Mary Wordelmann. Cicuto's inclusion is likely good news for Cardinal fans who weren't sure what the goalkeeper situation would look like for the Cards this season. Finally, the two newcomers are incoming freshman Jaelen Perez and transfer Addy Jay (who will come to the Cards from Boston University). 

Best of luck to all those participating!

Cardinal Swimmers at World University Games

Louisville swimming is also represented on the national stage, with this event taking place a bit farther away than Virginia Beach. The World University Games are underway in Berlin, Germany, and Cardinals are already doing quite well. Caroline Larsen, Ella Welch, and Julia Dennis are among the swimmers turning in their collegiate colors for the red, white, and blue. Louisville also has two men competing, with Denis Petrashov and Guy Brooks representing their home countries of Kyrgyzstan and South Africa, respectively. 

Larsen and Welch each got off to a hot start in the 50-meter butterfly, with Larsen finishing fifth and Welch sixth in the prelims, moving them to the semifinals. Both then qualified for the finals, as well, with Larsen posting the fastest time and Welch coming in .42 seconds later for fifth. 

Larsen also already has a gold medal, which she and Julia Dennis helped win in the 400 Free Relay. Team USA crushed the competition in the prelims, posting a fastest time nearly four full seconds ahead of second place. To assert their dominance further, the relay crew beat the prelim time by 1.5 seconds with a 3:36.21 in the finals on their way to gold. 

Congratulations and good luck as the event continues! 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

After a couple of weeks away, the show returns this week. We'll have three on board as Jared snaps photos at Freedom Hall for The Basketball Tournament. Paulie, Daryl, and I will bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics with competition just around the corner. Check out the show after it posts around 1PM, and be sure to subscribe so that it comes to your feed automatically. 

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Campus update -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL

So glad for another weekend to be here, looking forward to keeping it chill in our house, which isnt always bad. 

Some sounds and sights from around campus this week

With the summer storm season in full swing i think its a great reminder to avoid driving during them and also DO NOT enter any standing water.  With the large dumps of rain, the UofL area tends to flash flood pretty bad.   Just dont chance it.  

I returned some library books earlier this week (did not finish them)

Standing in front of UofL Ekstrom Library facing the quad

With that said, I know I've said it before.. you never know who you may run into on campus and for me, it was the great Anna Debeer in line for coffee in the SAC. 

I got a chance to have a quick chat with Anna sans boot!   

She said she was healing well and working on finishing up her MBA.  I told her thanks for the great season and I just SO WISH she was able to play in the title match because I swear they would've won it all had she been able to suit up.  She said it was hard watching from the sidelines.  And for inquiring minds, it looked like she walked away with one of the pink refreshers as her drink of choice. 

I appreciate Anna taking the time to chat me up for a few.

Here's a pic for proof :D 

In line at Starbucks 

As Always,
Go Cards

~Daryl 

Former Card Advances Coaching Career -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Callie McKinney Departs Bellarmine WSOC

Following one season at the helm of the Bellarmine women's soccer program, former Cardinal Callie McKinney has left Louisville but returned to the ACC. McKinney has accepted an assistant coaching position with the SMU Mustangs, effective immediately. 

Photo via gocards

McKinney, from Franklin, Tennessee, played for Louisville from 2016-2019. After graduating with her bachelor's degree in exercise science at UofL, she received a master's degree in health science at Bellarmine. During that time, she joined the Bellarmine program as a graduate assistant in 2020, and was promoted to permanent assistant coach in 2021. In March of 2024, she was announced as the head coach and made her official collegiate coaching debut at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium against the Cards. She had previously served as a head coach in the summer of 2023 when she led the Racing Louisville USL W League team. 

Though the Knights didn't have a great season last year, McKinney did lead them to their best conference mark since joining the ASUN in 2020. Bellarmine was 5-12-3 overall, but finished 4-6-1 in conference. The mark was good enough to grant the Knights their first appearance in the ASUN tournament since 2021, and they won their first round game in a shootout over Austin Peay. 

McKinney's move, though technically a demotion in responsibility, is a big step up in coaching prestige. SMU is not a women's soccer power, but the ACC certainly is. To move into an assistant coaching position in the top conference in the sport is definitely an improvement in role. Her move also means that she will return to Lynn Stadium after all this season. The Cards aren't set to play Bellarmine in 2025, but they will host SMU. As she was honored in the opening game of the 2024 season, I would anticipate an acknowledgement of her accomplishment when the Mustangs visit Louisville on Senior Day on October 30th. 

While this move is great for Callie McKinney, it does leave Bellarmine in a bit of a lurch. Their roster currently lists Othaniel Yanez as the only member of the coaching staff. Yanez, another former Cardinal (2006-2009), joined the staff as an assistant alongside McKinney's head coaching elevation last season. With only a month before the season, I would anticipate Yanez to serve in at least an interim capacity. 

Best of luck to Callie in her new endeavors!

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Jared Looks at Field Hockey Schedule -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Jared Breaks Down the 2025 Field Hockey Schedule

Hey Cardinal Couple readers, Jared checking in today as Paulie is recovering from his vacation to Gatlinburg. He should be back on the site in a couple days.

Another fall sport that is rapidly approaching is Louisville field hockey. This squad had an uncharacteristic off year last year. A major part of that was the departure of nearly half of the starting 11 from the previous year due to graduation and the expiration of the COVID-19 eligibility. With the 2025 team having a little bit more experience, we certainly expect to see Justine Sowry's squad back to its traditional form.

Louisville has a couple scrimmages against Bellarmine and Miami (OH) with the former being at Trager and the latter on the road. The Knights shouldn't be much of a challenge but the Redhawks could give us a good glimpse of how the Cards match up against a quality opponent.

UofL opens the season with their first two regulation matches at home against Michigan State and Ohio. The Spartans play in the ever-dangerous Big Ten (B1G). However, they sit near the bottom of the conference ever year. The Bobcats have not been a strong team over the last several years and should hopefully be an easy early season game. I have Louisville winning both matches to start the year.

Louisville then makes a trip to Bloomington for a pair of matches against Drexel (neutral site) and host Indiana. Drexel has been a plus-.500 for quite a while and did get a top-20 win each of the last two seasons. I still think the Cards pull off the win. Indiana is another Big Ten team that sits near the bottom of their conference. Louisville has won the last 10 in the series, outscoring the Hoosiers 29-3. The Cards should walk away from the weekend with an improved record of 4-0.

A three-game homestand against Northwestern, Iowa, and Ohio State will be a demanding stretch for the Cards. Northwestern is the reigning national champions. They were the runner-up the previous two seasons and won it all in 2021. I think the Wildcats hand Louisville their first loss. Like Louisville, Iowa had a down year last year and plans to be on the rise again this season. The Buckeyes and Cards have split the last six meetings with Ohio State winning on golden goal last season. This stretch will be a bit bumpy that I think will be a 1-2 outing and Louisville's record will move to 5-2.

A road trip to Saint Joseph's (PA) and Stanford is next on the schedule, thankfully with many days in between. The Hawks are the national runner-up and will defend their home turf well. Of all the sports Stanford is excellent at, field hockey is not one of them. The Cards will go 1-1 on the road and their overall record will be 6-3.

The Cards get to come home and will welcome Wake Forest and Bellarmine, this time for a regulation match. The Demon Deacons have been back-and-forth in the ACC and and the Knights have struggled since making the switch to DI. This is a prime opportunity for Louisville to build some momentum with a pair of wins and improve to 8-3.

Louisville visits the state of North Carolina next, facing Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels are the best field hockey program of all time with 11 titles. They have missed the Final Four once over the last 15 years. Duke is another powerhouse field hockey program. Playing on the road for these two matches will be not fun and the Cards will drop a pair and fall to 8-5.

The final stretch of the season begins with California and Virginia visiting Trager Stadium. Cal has been average over the years and despite stealing one from the Cards last year, I think Louisville gets its revenge. Virginia has had Louisville's number recently, winning four of the last five. I give the Cavaliers a slight advantage, moving Louisville's record to 9-6.

The regular season concludes with a trip to Boston College and coming home to host Syracuse. Both teams made the NCAA Tournament last year but Louisville has historically done well on the road against the Eagles. I give Louisville the edge here. Syracuse has had the Cards' number the last three years, but I think Louisville grinds out a Senior Day win. Louisville wraps up the regular season 11-6.

NCAA Tournament chances will depend on how well the Cards do in the ACC Tournament. Their rpi won't be an issue, but less than 20 teams make the tournament so Louisville needs to find a way to stand out to the committee. An ACC Tournament run could be just that.

(All photos by Jared)

Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Jared Looks at Soccer Schedule -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Jared Breaks Down and Predicts Women's Soccer Schedule

As we inch closer to the start of the 2025-2026 Louisville sports season, final rosters and schedules have fallen into place, allowing us to take a closer look at each team and take a stab at how we think they will do this season.

The first women's team to start their season this fall is women's soccer. While the 'Kickin Cards' have not had the success we had hoped over the last few years, a new season is always on the horizon.

This season opens up with road trips to Auburn and Vanderbilt, both teams who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. The Commodores upset 1-seed Florida State to get to the Sweet Sixteen. It would be a tall task to earn a round win in there, but I see the Cards dropping both of those matches.

Louisville then head to Lynn Stadium for a six-game homestand. The first trio of matches come against Detroit Mercy, Wright State, and USC Upstate. The Spartans were the only team of that grouping to make it to the NCAA Tournament last year, where they got demolished by North Carolina in the opening round. All three matches should be wins for the Cards.

The back half of the homestand features Coastal Carolina, Kent State, and Dayton. The Flyers are the only team of that grouping to have a spectacular season last year, but Dayton was upset in the A10 Championship to miss out on the NCAA Tournament. Dayton also took down Louisville 1-0 last season. Louisville should be able to beat the first two of this grouping but I think the play Dayton to a draw, bringing their record to 5-2-1.

From here on out, Louisville moves to ACC play, something that has doomed the Cards in the past. They start by heading to Tallahassee to defeat Florida State. The Seminoles are a top tier team every season and should be able to defend their home turf with easy.

Louisville gets a three-game homestand after that against Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Miami. The Cards and Miami did not face off last year. Louisville drew with Clemson and was blown out against Virginia Tech. The Hokies went on a bit of a dark horse run in the tournament, making it to the Elite Eight. Virginia Tech should win again this year, but I see the Cards playing to an even draw against their other two opponents in this stretch. Louisville's record moves to 5-4-3.

A road trip to Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and Boston College follows. The Cards tied Notre Dame and Boston College last year, but did not face Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons were the runner-up in the NCAA Tournament. While Wake Forest should get a win in Winston-Salem, I think the Cards pull off a road win and a draw against the other two in this grouping, moving their record to 6-5-4.

The final stretch of the season includes Virginia, NC State, and SMU. The Cavaliers won their opening match of the tournament last year while the other two did not make it. Virginia will come into Lynn and earn a late-season victory to help their conference record, dropping the Cards down to .500 overall. I think the Cards split the other final two matches, ending their season 7-7-4, missing out on both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.

Louisville returns a strong and veteran corps from last season so we could see a plus-.500 season, but Louisville's history in the ACC provides some doubt that they will be able to compete with many of the big dogs in the conference. Only time will tell.

(All photos today by Jared)

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared