Louisville Volleyball defeats Belmont in four sets in First Round NCAA contest...Louisville WBB plays Valparaiso today -- Saturday Cardinal Couple

VOLLEYBALL ELIMINATES PESKY BRUINS TO ADVANCE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

They were the team that would not go away..but Louisville Volleyball finally showed Belmont University the exit door from Cardinal Arena last night -- winning 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21 in front of almost 1100 people in first round NCAA Volleyball Tournament action.

"We're happy to be able to walk out of here with a win....Hats off to Belmont for being such a tough opponent and we're excited about facing Illinois tomorrow." -- Anne Kordes, on the match.

Louisville started well against the Bruins..jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the first set...but four straight Belmont points drew them within four. The Cards held a tenuous 21-18 advantage but a Belmont service error, Tess Clark kill and Erin Fairs kill got the Cards to game point. A Katie George dump ended the first set at 25-20. The Cards got four kills from Clark and hit .259 for the game.

Belmont roared back in the second set and grabbed a 8-3 lead before a Fairs kill drew the Cards within four. Louisville never could quite get the lead but tied it at 20 before the Bruins went on a game-ending 5-2 run to even the match at one game apiece. Arianna Person had six kills in the set and Brie Lewis added seven for the OVC Tournament champions.

The Cards and Bruins engaged in a back and forth set after halftime...neither team managing more than a three-point lead and the match was tied at 23-23 before the Cards forced Belmont into a hitting error and Maya McClendon delivered a game-ending kill to give the Cards a two-point triumph and 2-1 lead in the match. 

The Cards gained and early 5-3 lead in the final set but the Bruins roared back to take a 14-13 advantage. Tied at 21-21, the Cards used two Clark kills and two timely blocks at the net to take the final four points and complete the game and match. 

Fairs led the Cards with 15 kills, followed closely by Clark's 14 and Janelle Jenkins 10. Clark had a phenomenal .700 hitting average (14-20) for the Cards out of the middle. 

POST GAME INTERVIEWS FROM BELMONT GAME 

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Illinois will be the Cards opponent tonight at 7 p.m. The Illini defeated Southern Illinois 25-19, 25-15, 26-24 in the opening match...getting 12 kills from Katie Stadick and 11 from Jocelynn Birks. The Illini held the Salukies to .137 hitting for the match and forced SIU into 35 errors. 

The Cards will face a big challenge from the taller Illinois squad on the front line. The Illini go 6'3", 6'3" and 6'2" across the front line and Stadick hit an impressive .632 (12-19) in the match against SIU.  

Louisville lost in straight sets to the Illini to start the season but the Cards have improved since then. The Illini have as well...so it should be a great match. ESPN 3 will have the broadcast.

VALPARAISO NEXT FOR LOUISVILLE WBB. 

Fresh off the win Thursday night at Michigan State, the Louisville women's basketball team brings in 0-5 Valparaiso for Saturday afternoon basketball in the KFC YUM! Center at 4 p.m. 

Valparaiso started the season with a 72-53 loss to Butler and was romped 110-54 at Notre Dame. Double digit losses to San Diego and Northern Colorado followed before the Crusaders returned home to narrowly lose to Miami (OH) 75-72 Thursday night. 

Jasmine Walker leads Valpo in scoring with 11.2 a game. Meredith Hamlet averages 10.6 a contest and Dani Franklin contributes 9.0 per outing. 

For Louisville, it'll be a guessing game on who Walz will start and have available. Hopefully, Asia Durr and Briahanna Jackson are healthy and ready to go. Myisha Hines-Allen and Mariya Moore continues to provide solid minutes for the Cardinals and Taja Cole and Cortnee Walton both had impressive outings against Spartie. 

Hopefully Walz will be able to go deep into the bench today and give everyone significant minutes against the win-less Horizon League member.  

As a side note, there was an impressive showing of Louisville WBB players in attendance at the Volleyball match last night. From my end zone vantage view I saw Myisha Hines-Allen, Cortnee Walton, Asia Durr, Sam Fuehring definitely and a couple more that were blocked from my full view. Let's hope they got some tips on blocking by watching the wide-netters go at it. 

This one may or may not be on Cards TV tomorrow...we hear there have been some problems with those broadcasts this year...you can always listen to the dependable Matt Andrews and Adrienne Johnson call it on WKRD 790 AM. 

RADIO TODAY

Another Saturday where Worldwide and I will be in the studio at the same time to discuss the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports on The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.

Volleyball and hoops will be on the docket and we have great clips from Volleyball to air from the recent media day and first round win over Belmont. 

Join us at 11 a.m. on WCHQ 100.9 FM or live on the internet at www.crescenthillradio.com 

paulie
xxxxx

George, Fairs took two different paths, on two different paths but have arrived at same place -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

CARDINAL VOLLEYBALL SENIORS CONTRAST BUT CONGEAL ON COURT

Erin Fairs doesn't like to be in front of the television cameras. She's OK....in fact perfectly comfortable in front of a microphone for an audio interview, but when the lights go on...

"Something just happens to me" the graduate student transfer from Florida State admits. She'll finish her studies at UofL and pursue overseas professional volleyball and opportunities in her major of criminal justice. 

Katie George takes to cameras like a dolphin does to water. It's how she plans on earning the daily dollar after graduation. The senior from Assumption High School is already a reporter for WLKY CBS here in town and has a feature show called GIRL POWER. 

Imagine this scenario...reporter George interviewing C.S.I. Inspector Fairs on the details of a crime case. Maybe it could happen someday...

I had the chance to interview both yesterday at the Louisville Volleyball presser in the YUM! Practice Center on campus and found that different styles mesh perfectly.

George is the hard-working distributor...chasing down the digs and getting the ball to the terminators....Fairs and the other front line hitters on the Louisville Volleyball club. 

Erin knew of Katie when she was at South Florida...played them in the AAC and Big East. What did she think of her way back when?

"Me and my teammates were..like...she's so good...she's a leader and just to experience playing against her was so cool.  She's a good player and puts in the work to be one."

Katie's impressions of Erin when she was on the Bulls? 

" I remember thinking...she's going to break my fingers when I'd go up to try and block her! I'm so glad that she's on my team now and I can play with her and watch her try to break opponent's fingers." 

Thoughts on getting to host? 

Katie: I actually was surprised, pleasantly surprised that we got to host. After we lost to Syracuse, I didn't know what that meant for us. I was upset about the loss because my goals this season were to win an ACC Championship and get to the first and second round. Thinking that might not happen was an unpleasant feeling but then finding out and realizing we were going to host was a very pleasant feeling.

Erin: I wasn't suprised we got to host. I thought that the winner of the ACC should get a first and second round home site and we won the ACC. I was confident. 

Belmont is Louisville's first round opponent. They come in at 17-14 and won the OVC Tournament with wins over Morehead State, Tennessee Tech and Murray State. They had lost their previous three games entering the tournament...so they appear to be on a late season resurgence. 

Sophomore Arianna Person (Lenexa, Kan.) leads the offense recording a team high 414 kills so far this season, averaging 3.87 per set.

At the net redshirt freshman Alexa Nichols (Walton, Ky.) has recorded 79 total blocks while fellow middle, senior Jocelyn Youngdahl (Stillwater, Minn.), follows closely behind with 75 total blocks. From the back line Person leads the defense with 331 digs while sophomore Emily Richards (Penfield, N.Y.) averages a team high 3.29 digs per set.

Redshirt sophomore Emma Price (Fort Mill, SC) has dished out a total of 1074 assists, adding these to her total from last year and she has stepped onto the all-time leader board in the fifth place spot with 2,280 career assists.

It gets underway Friday night at Cardinal Arena. The distributor and the punisher. The beauty queen and the beast at the net. The reporter and the killer. Nashville vs. Louisville. 

Erin and Katie are two delightful women with brilliant smiles that are a joy and pleasure to interview. On the court, however, they turn into a search and destroy duo that has led Louisville to a 24-6 record. Let's hope they have six more attempts to perform their duties...

paulie
xxxxx

Louisville Volleyball to host NCAA first and second rounds...Women's basketball defeated by Dayton in Gulf Coast Showcase -- Monday Cardinal Couple

VOLLEY CARDS TO FACE BELMONT IN FIRST ROUND

In a pleasant Sunday night surprise, the #15 Louisville Volleyball team was selected to host first round action in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The Cards will serve it up against Belmont on Friday night at 7 p.m. and, if successful, would face the winner of the Southern Illinois vs. Illinois game on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The contests will be played on campus at Cardinal Arena. Because of basketball scheduled for the KFC YUM! Center on Saturday (the men play Grand Canyon at noon and the women face Valparaiso at 4 p.m.) the site where the Cards played the vast majority of their home games this season is unavailable...primarily because of practice concerns for the two advancing teams. 

That also means tickets will be at a premium for the event. Cardinal Arena seats less than 900 and with three teams besides Louisville participating and media seating needed...fans would be advised to get tickets without delay.

If you have a MY CARDINALS ACCOUNT, and are a Louisville Volleyball season ticket holder, you can go to the website and request up to six. Reserved seating tickets are $20 per day. You know the routine...credit cards will be charged only if you are allocated tickets. If there are any remaining tickets, they will go on sale beginning at noon on Tuesday Dec. 1st. A limited number of standing room only tickets and any other reserved seats will be sold on game days.

Questions? Go to tickets@gocards.com or call a call to the Ticket Office at 502GOCARDS.

A nice surprise, this hosting. Our resident Volleyball guru Worldwide expressed doubt on our Saturday radio show that the Cards would get a chance to host after the Syracuse loss to end the season. The Duke win over UNC kept the Cards in sole possession of the ACC Conference title, though...and that may have been of benefit to Louisvville and hosting.

We'll have more on this as we get closer to the Tournament matches...

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WOMEN'S HOOPS START HOT, FALTER LATE IN 79-66 LOSS TO DAYTON

Louisville women's basketball got off to a great start Sunday against Dayton Sunday afternoon in the third place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase but could not sustain the momentum late...losing by 13 to the Flyers.

Louisville, who started Erin De Grate, Mariya Moore, Cortnee Walton, Taja Cole and Arica Carter, came out gangbusters early....rolling to a 9-0 lead over Dayton in the first 3:30. Myisha Hines-Allen knocked down a jumper to make it 14-2 Cards with 3:20 left in the first period. Due to a burst bursa sack in her knee suffered against Purdue Saturday...Briahanna Jackson wasn't expected to play but did enter the contest with 2:05 left in the first period.

The Flyers eventually started hitting some shots, though...and climbed back to nine at the end of the quarter at 18-9. Louisville started the second period on a good note and led 24-12 after a Walton free throw three minutes in...but the Flyers responded with a 14-0 run to take the lead on a Amber Deane three with 2:23 left until halftime.

The Cards were able to climb back into a 28-28 tie at the end of 20 minutes...thanks to a couple of Moore free throws and a Hines-Allen jumper with 21 ticks left on the clock. 

Moore was impressive in the first half for the Cards with 16 points in 16 minutes...including 6-6 free throw shooting and two threes...but Louisville already had 15 turnovers and neither Carter or Cole were handling point-guard responsibilities very efficiently. 

Dayton would go up by as many as four in the third period...but the Cards would rally back to tie the contest at 38 all when Moore hit a jumper with 2:30 left. A missed Cole three as time expired gave the Flyers a 46-43 lead after 30 minutes. Hines-Allen kept the Cards in the fray with seven third quarter points.

The Cards climbed back to within one at 48-47 after two Walton free-throws with 8:16 to play...but a 13-4 run by Dayton over the next four minutes had the Cards down by 10 at 61-51 after a Kelly Austria three. Louisville would trail by as many as 16 late in the game. A three by Hines-Allen with 12 seconds remaining set the final tally at 76-63.

Louisville comes home for a few days and then goes to East Lansing for a Thursday night tilt against #21 Michigan State. The game will be televised on ESPN 2 as part of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. 

WHAT WE LIKED

-- M&M crew back? Myisha (20) and Mariya (23) combined for 43 of the Cards points. The two leading scorers from last season were joined by Taja Cole's 11 points to put three Cards in double figures. 17 for 39 shooting between the three isn't bad...but the missed layups stood out like a sore thumb again for the Cards. 

-- Gotta hit the free ones. The Cards were 24-36 from the free throw line for 66%. Although it isn't the 70% we'd like to see...backing out Sam Fuehring's  2-6 performance makes it look a little better. 

WHAT NEEDS WORK

-- Killer instinct. The Cards could have buried the Flyers early but disappeared instead for a prolonged stretch in the second period. They fought back to within one early in the fourth quarter and then allowed the Flyers to go on a game-closing 31-19 run. Turnovers, poor decision making and missing easy shots continue to plague this squad. The defense died in the final eight minutes. Correctable things, of course but fatal on Sunday to Walz's charges. 

-- To the point...Carter and Cole split point guard duties and had a combined nine turnovers and just six assists. That has to improve against Michigan State and Kentucky. 

paulie
xxxxx 

Friday Cardinal Couple -- Cards defeat Belmont 3-1 in NCAA 1st round

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Lola, Rucker lead Cards past Bemont 3-1

-Cards headed to a BCS Bowl!

The University of Louisville Volleyball team defeated Belmont 21-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-21 to advance to the 2nd round in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament Thursday night in the KFC YUM! Center.

It didn't come easy for Anne Kordes' squad.

Cards prepare to play

Belmont came out ready to give the Cards a battle from the opening serve. Knotted early, the OVC champs took a 11-9 lead over the Cards on a Allison McCoy kill. Louisville battled back, though and took a 15-12 lead after a kill by Tanya Lukyanenko. The Cards extended that lead to 20-16 after a Lola kill and Belmont needed a timeout.

The strategy worked. With Scarlet Gable serving, Belmont ran off eight straight points and had the Cards at set point. Emily Juhl's kill kept the Cards alive for one volley, but Belmont got a kill from Jocelyn Youngdahl to take game one 25-21.

Kaitlynn James serving

Belmont remained on fire to start game two and led 5-1 early, thanks in part to three Louisville attack errors. The Cards came back to tie it at 5-5, though and the game was still close at 15-15 when Lola went to work.

Three straight Lola kills and it was 18-15. Belmont called a timeout. This time, the strategy didn't have as much success, the Cards extending that lead to 21-16 after another Lola kill. Kaitlynn James ended the set with a kill on a nice feed from Hannah Kvitle to take the second game 25-19 and tie the match at 1-1. Lola had eight kills in the second game.

Gwen Rucker serves

After the break, UofL and Belmont got engaged in another nail biter. Neither team could gain a clear advantage and the contest was even at 13-13 before four Belmont attack errors helped the Cards grab a 20-15 advantage. Three more Belmont miscues had the Cards at 23-17 and kills from Tanya and Lola ended it. Cards 25-18 and up 2-1 in games.

The rowdy Belmont students and the girl who saved my
life (deflecting a kill headed directly toward my head). 

Once again, the early stages of the next and final game were tooth and nail. Louisville took an 8-8 tie to a 15-10 lead after Gwen Rucker aced a serve. Although Belmont would climb back within three at 21-18, Gwen's kill put the Cards up by four, a Belmont attack error made it 23-18 Cards and Lola's kill had the Cards at match point 24-19. Belmont would not go quietly, though. Two straight Gable kills made it 24-21. A service error ended it, though and Louisville rejoiced with a 25-21 triumph.

Lola had 19 kills for the Cards and Gwen Rucker added 13 for the victorious Cards. Together they produced 32 of the 55 UofL kills for the match. Rucker added seven blocks and Caitlin Welch led a balanced Cardinal dig effort with 19.
The Cards hit .214 against the pesky Belmont squad.

Caitlin Welch, Gwen Rucker and Anne Kordes
address the media after the win.

2782 in attendance Thursday night in the KFC YUM! Center and Louisville advances to Friday night 2nd round action to face Michigan, who defeated Tennessee earlier in the day 3-2.

Coach Kordes was effusive in her praise for the scrappy Belmont squad in post games remarks and spoke about the tough match ahead against the tough BIG 10 squad. She was also philisophical about the Cards having to go to Berkeley, CA instead of West Lafayette, IN. if they get past the Wolverines tonight.

In Anne's hire, Tom Jurich has put another one deep over the fence and touched all the bases. She exudes confidence, gives great post-game summations and recaps, answers questions with detailed knowlege, and...oh, yeah...she's a darn good volleyball coach as well. 

Game time Friday night is 7:30. We think you should go.

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An incredible, come-from-behind effort by Louisville Football Thursday night at Rutgers -- falling behind 14-3 to the Scarlet Knights but fighting back to win 20-17. John Wallace's field goal with 1:41 to go gave the Cards the BIG EAST title and the Cards will be heading to a BCS Bowl. The guess here is the Orange Bowl, with the Sugar Bowl a possibility.

Teddy Brigdewater, gutting it out with a broken wrist, bum knee and ankles. Hats off to you, sir! In the words of Rocky..."I didn't hear no bell, Tommy!".

We recommend Charlie Springer's excellent read on this donnybrook. The link for Charlie's site -- Card Game-- is below.

Louisville going Bowling!


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