Zamareya Jones brings depth and stability to Cards WBB guards -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 NC STATE TRANSFER WILL BE A STRONG ADDITION TO LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 

Zamareya "Zam" Jones leaves Wes Moore's N.C. State's program and comes into a Cards roster as a very viable candidate to join probable starters Roberts, Randolph, Istanbulluoglu and Berry.

Jones had a spectacular sophomore eason in Raleigh, NC..with starts in 30 out of 31 games, 14. 9 points per game, and 32.54 minutes per game. She was the squad's starting point guard but was often undermined because of her diminutive height (5'7").

She arrives to Louisville at a time when their previous starting point guard (Renya Scott) has graduated. A tribute to Jeff Walz for seeing the need and getting a fix for it. 

A lot was made about Jones having to share ball-handling duties with Wolfpack guard Zoe Brooks. Jones addressed the change in venue for her:

"After a lot of time, thought, and reflection...I have decided to enter the transfer portal. NC State will always hold a special place in my heart and I will be forever grateful for the memories, relationships and experience I have gained at N.C. State" 

We feel ...here at Cardinal Couple ...that she is the link that will make the UofL program capable of making the Final four and more. We look forward to her time at UofL for two years. 

paulie

Fever Fall to Valkyries -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 HINES-ALLEN DNP IN INDIANA LOSS TO GOLDEN STATE

It was a tough loss in more ways than one for the Fever's Myisha Hines Allen last night.

She is grieving the loss of her grandmother and losing to one of the top teams in the WNBA on her home court did help her mental state in addition. Hines-Allen was given an excused absence from the squad to attend her grandmother's funeral.  

Head Fever coach Stephanie White hd this to say about the star's persona tragedy:

Stephanie White said that Hines-Allen did not play because she was dealing with a family situation. White wanted her to have a couple of days to herself to deal with the loss. 

Hines-Allen has been a key rotational piece for the Fever this season. She is averaging 4.2 points a game and 3.2 rebounds in about 15 minutes a game. She is a key part of the Fever defense. 

Indiana was in front of a home crowd in their most recent loss to Golden State. The visiting Valkyries are in their second year of existence and are one of the top teams in the league at 18-7, one game behind league-leading Minnesota in the Western division. They have been on a arduous seven-game road  trip and are finally headed back home to California. The Fever are 14-10 on the season and tied for first place in the Eastern division with the Atlanta Dream

(Does anyone  remember the Grateful Dead's song about California? It is sampled below) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuev-dzohTk

We. at Cardinal couple extend out sympathies to the Hines-Allen family and Myisha over the loss of their Grandmother. 

I never knew either of my Grandmother's...and just one of my Grandfather's...but understand the importance of/them in many families.  

paulie

  

Big Four in Louisville More Than Just a Bridge -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 ROBERTS, RANDOLPH, BERRY AND ISTANBULLUOGLU WILL BE CARDS WBB LEADERS IN 2026-27

THE OTHER BIG FOUR IN TOWN...THE WALKING BRIDGE

The thought here is that Jeff Walz has to be pretty happy with his "Big Four" on campus. Now, that the squad is back on the court...he'll be looking to "R.R.B.& I" for leadership, skill, experience and mentoring of the freshman on his 2026-27 roster. 

I would imagine that most of the ACC WBB coaches would love to be in Walz's shoes right now.  Getting back four that contributed so much last year is something that doesn't happen very often. 

You've got height, scoring, skill and experience, and those four things are a pretty good tools to have in your workshed. The fact that Walz has empowered them to help him run the practices and speak out on what they are seeing speaks volumes on his confidence level on their abilities. 

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The Big Four bridge was named for the now defunct railway that used it...the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. Originally carrying trains, the bridge was decommissioned in the 1960's. It was called the "bridge to nowhere" in the 1970's and there was a movement to tear it down in some circles of thought. The ramps were removed, but then someone got the bright idea to spruce it up and connect walking paths to it on either side of the river. 

How far will the these "big four" at UofL walk (or, hopefully run) for Louisville in the quest for a Sweet Sixteen and beyond journey in the NCAA Tournament for the WBB Cards this season? 

In the ACC, Duke and UofL are the two top picks of a league that is brimming in talent. Duke returns a lot of firepower as well, in Kara Lawson's crew of Fournier, Mair, Jackson and company. They did reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last year, a bit better than the Cards fade out against Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen.

We'll be watching the Big Four (and their teammates) closely, of course, here at Cardinal Couple. After all, we are less than four months away...We'll find a way to "bridge the gap" somehow 

paulie

Doe UofL WBB need a GM? -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 THE TREND IS BECCOMING MORE POPULAR...IS THAT  GOOD THING?

(A GM chord...sorry I couldn't resist.) 

General managers (GM's) are now becoming more and more prevalent in major college sports programs and teams. The coaches are so busy with all the aspects of on-court planning and player development...a college GM can act like a NFL executive, handing things such as managing the transfer portal, evaluating talent and multi-year depth planning.

Some programs across our nation also use GM's to coordinate NIL contracts and managing financial obligations. The also analyze data to identify undervalued players and optimize team performance. 

The thing is...with most college sports programs operating at a serious deficit...is the job a the expenditure necessary? Cost-cutting measures are being employed al lover the college landscape in athletics and tough decisions need to be made about spending necessities and  cost-cutting methods. 

Walz says he doesn’t see the need for a general manager and believes that role can sometimes become a way for coaches to shift blame when things don’t go right.

I don't claim to have ll the answers, but...college athletics has survived a long time without GM's. I don't see the need to tax the university dollar anmore by installing a GM, who can command hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases.  Jeff walz talks about GM's below...

Does Louisville need a GM for WBB? My opinion is "no". 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=989026327080118

paulie

Cards WBB add Roman Tubner to staff as assistant coach. -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ROMAN TUBNER HIRED TO JOIN WALZ'S STAFF AS ASSISTANT COACH.

Jeff Walz has added another coach to his staff...in the hiring of Roman Tubner. Tubner was last with Tennessee before he was let go. He has also coached at Alabama, Ball St., UNC Wilmington, Indiana St. Austin Peay and Arkansas St.  

A almost completely new look sitting next to Walz on the bench with Pineda. Tubner, Bernabei McNamee, Bradbury, and Cerezuela.

Tubner has a wealth of coaching experience, going 219-146 at eight different schools. He has a wife and two daughters. 

He spent two years at UT before head coach Kim Caldwell fired him this April. Caldwell claimed that Tubner was undermining her all season in 2025-26  and that was what led to the Vols decline. She said Tubner told players that they did not have to listen to her. 

Deniya Prawl, now at UofL as a student-athlete on the Cards squad after being at UT denies that happened. Prawl insisted:

"Coach Roman had the most pure intentions. All he wanted us to do was succeed and stay together."

Caldwell is bringing in 15 new players for the 2026-27 season. Somewhere, Pat Summitt is rolling over in her grave and wondering what in the hell is happening at Rocky Top. 

Tubner arrives with experience across the SEC and mid-major ranks, most recently spending two seasons at Tennessee. Prior to that, he served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide compile a 64-35 record while playing a key role in recruiting multiple WNBA Draft picks, including Brittany Davis and Aaliyah Nye. 

paulie

USA Volleyball wins in SemiFinals against Mexico -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 USA TO FACE CANADA AGAIN AFTER DEFEATING MEXICO

The USA U 21 Women's Pan Am Volleyball squad, with Cardinal star Payton Petersen on the roster goes for their fourth consecutive title when they face Canada today in Columbus, OH.

Mexico went down in straight sets Saturday to the USA 25-17, 25-11, 25-12. Mexico and the Dominican Republic will battle for third place.

USA has won four of the U21 Pan Am Cup titles -- in 2017. 2022, 2023 and 2025. 

In the Mexico match, USA led in every statistical category -- including kills (42-20), blocks (14-3), and service aces (4-0)

USA is coached by Tama Miyashiro, who played her volleyball at the University of Washington and was on the U.S National team as well. Her comments on the win over Mexico. 

"I'm very happy because  we were able to put pressure on Mexico right from the start. I've been following their matches throughout the tournament and they have good players and out goal today  was to neutralize their attack. I'm very proud o the determination out players showed and we are excited to be in the final."

Top scorers for USA against Mexico were Suliane Davis (10 points), Ayden Ames (9 points) and Henley Anderson (9 points) .

A boxscore for the Mexico match is seemingly the needle in the haystack, I could not find one after extensive search, so I have no numbers on how Payton Petersen did in the Mexico match.. 

paulie

 

Petersen, USA advance to semifinals in NORCECA U21 Volleyball -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 USA downs Canada 3-1 to advance to semifinals

In the NORECA U21 matches in Columbus, the USA and Payton Petersen have advanced to the semifinals.

They have defeated Venezuela, Mexico and Canada to take the championship in their pool play. They now need to get by  

Payton Petersen, out of the University of Louisville, totalled 15 points in the USA win over Canada 3-1 by the scores of 25-18, 25-14, 21-25, 25-18. The All-Americas Cup is being shown on You Tube on the U21 matches for North America in Columbus, OH. 

Petersen will be a junior at UofL in the upcoming season and hails from Dike, Iowa .She is a twin, and her sister Jadyn plays volleyball at Northern Iowa where their mother Bobbi is the head coach of the program.

Kalyssa Blackshear, another Cardinals star, is an alternate on the squad. 

Cards Volleyball is less than two months away. The will face Wisconsin at the LNFCU on Aug 28th. The annual Red and Black scrimmage is scheduled for Aug 22, at the LNFCU as well.   

Sadly, Louisville Volleyball is one of the programs at UofL operating at a financial loss. Even though they do generate some earnings ,the costs far outweigh the earnings. And, they do charge admission. $15 for matches at the LNFCU and starting at $36 for KFC YUM! Center mathes for premium events. 

paulie

 

LDI adds Rhen Vail --FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE AT UOFL

Rhen Vali

The Leadership Development institute program at UofL is a nine-month comprehensive program open to athletic staff members who have more than three years of service at UofL and want to develop leadership, strategic thinking, public speaking and  management skills. They recently made Rhen Vail, UofL WBB Strength and Conditioning a recipient of he prestigious award

It started in 2019 and usually ends around May of the following year of the start in September. 

The program was designed to encourage professional advancement and personal growth among the athletic staff at UofL. Josh Heird says this about the program:

"We have seen tremendous results. The program continues to evolve and elevate year after year and reflects our ongoing investments."

The 2024-2025 Cohort members: Caroline Blincoe, Anne Burkhead, Marisa Carpenter, Tammy Davis, Zack Day, Hooks Hausman, Courtney Jackson, Stephanie Johnson, Brent Lamkin, John Leenerts, and Catherine Thompson.

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It's been awhile since I have walked the Belknap campus and just looked around. There was a time when I was walking across it daily, from Fraternity Row (where I lived) to places across campus like the Humanities Building, the old location of the Red Barn, the McDonald's and the Frisch's by I-65 and to the dormitories created out of the old motel chain that was at the Arthur Street exit. I am told the campus has changed quite a bit, and although I don't get to the parking garage and SAC building where a lot of coaches had offices...I remember the events on the track, at Ulmer Stadium and at the Field Hockey complex. I actually used to eat at Johnny George's restaurant on Brook Street...the original Cardinal Inn.  Me and the guys from the frat would always get the liver and onions if it was on the menu...you got bigger portions because very few people ordered it and it was a darn tasty dish, as well. If you waited until lunch serving was almost over, those portions got gigantic and sometimes it as my last meal before breakfast the next morning at Masterson's or the cafeteria in the Student Activities building. One semester I bought a restaurant pass for daily breakfast at Masterson's for Monday through Friday. If I remember correctly, I had won a huge amount of money playing horse racing tips I had gotten at the old Red Bull Liquor store on 7th and Algonquin, where I clerked for a few years. But,  those stories are for some other time....

Well, i have managed to steer far away from the original intent of the article, to discuss LDI. It happens. As I tell people,if you don't like today's article, come back tomorrow, there will be something new up. 

Coach Sowry in her office

I can remember watching the Field Hockey field get completely covered in water one afternoon  from a thunderous downpour...me and Coach Sowry staring out of her office window overlooking the field....when I was there to interview her for an article here at Cardinal Couple. They have banned me from interviews with coaches these days because someone hacked my now defunct X account and put up questionable material 

Will I stroll those haunts on campus ever again? Time will tell. I'd like to go back as a visitor and not a reporter and make a few of those walks. I doubt the overzealous media guardians on the UofL staff would have me incarcerated or taken to the campus security office and grilled under a white, hot glaring spotlight. Anyway, I hope not...I can't run as fast as I used to when I won the All Fraternity Intramurals 220 dash in one year of the old annual tournaments. Being an All Campus Champion was something i was proud of. I kept my All Campus Champion t-shirt a very long time. I wonder what ever happened to all those photos that line the walls of the stairway that led to the basement of the old swimming facility where the racquetball and handball courts used to be? 

Questions for another time,I suppose. 

paulie

 

Albiero Hires Assistant -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 KELLY LENNON JOINS CARDS

We probably don't pay enough attention to swim and die here at UofL but do follow the program closely .Gong back to my undergraduate days at UofL, I used to "hang" with a couple off swimmers and was well renowned for my back massages to loosen tight muscles. (I enjoyed massaging the women swimmers a lot more than the guys...but we won't go into that here...) 

In the days of the Sportsman's Supper Club, Arthur Albiero was always a favorite speaker of the organization. Sometimes he'd bring a student-athlete or two with him and they were always great to talk to and see their view on things. 

Albiero is still flourishing down on the corner they share with McDonald's, a practice soccer field and theatre playhouse. And, he's brought is a class act and excellent assistant in Kelly Lennon. 

Lennon comes in from Army, where she spent three years as an assistant and two years as an associate in the waters of West Point. Here's the scoop on her from A.A:

"After an extensive national search, we found the perfect person to join out staff in Kelly. Her energy, personality and natural ability to relate to coaches and athletes are a great match fo our program. She also has a proven track record in recruiting and developing swimmers at the NCAA level and beyond. Kelly will have an immediate impact on UofL swimming and we are ecstatic to have her join the team"

We are sure she'll be a great addition to the UofL staff and welcome her as well to UofL! 

paulie

    

Payton Petersen to participate in U 21 Pan Am Cup -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

 PETERSEN ONE OF 14 ON 2026 USA NORCECA SQUAD

The rising Cards Volleyball junior out of Dike, Iowa has been chosen for the squad that will participate for Team USA in the U21 Pan American Cup. The tournament, which will feature eight of the top junior national teams out of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, is being held at the Covelli Center in Columbus, OH. July 7-12.

The team faced Venezuela and won 25-13, 25-21, 25-15 yesterday, next is Mexico and Canada over the next two days in pool play.

Following the three days of pool play, the quarterfinals will take place on July10th. with the semifinals and placement matches on July 11th and the championship game July 12th. 

Besides Petersen, the USA roster consists of numerous athletes who have participated in past USA age group national teams. Players include  Ayden Ames, Henley Anderson, Taylor Harris, Devon Wiest, Lily Hayes and Rachel Van Gorp.

Some of the colleges represented on the USA Pan Am Cup are Texas, Nebraska, Creighton, Louisville, and even tiny Springfield College in Springfield, MA. 

We wish the USA squad the best of success in their pursuits! 

paulie

paulie