Volleyball to play six games in KFC YUM! Center...Downs after Dark...USA U16 gets Puerto Rico next.

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Volleyball schedule released...six home games at the downtown arena

-Downs After Dark tonight

-USA Women's U16 today at 4 p.m. vs. Puerto Rico.

-Final Cardinal Caravan a big success in Jeffersonville.

The University of Louisville's volleyball team will play six of their home matches in the KFC YUM! Center this upcoming season. Cardinal Arena, the other home venue for the Volleyball Cards, often sells out and standing room only is available. Head coach of the volleyball team, Anne Kordes, talks about the upgrade in facilities move:

Gwen Rucker is a senior on the
volleyball team. She also played
basketball her first two years at UofL

"We are extremely excited to be playing in the new arena downtown. One of the amazing things our fans provide for us is a great home court advantage by selling out Cardinal Arena time after time. Hopefully we can expand our amazing fan base by packing the YUM!. There is no other team in the country which gets to play in a more gorgeous, state-of-the-art arena than we do. It is a privledge for us to have a place like that to call home."

The Cards will start the season in late August on the road at the Georgia Tech Invitational. They return home to host the Crowne Plaza Cardinal Classic Sept 2-3 in Cardinal Arena. First game in the YUM! will be against St. John's on Sept 23rd. Other matches in the KFC YUM! are against Connecticut (Sept.25th.), Pittsburgh (Oct. 23rd.), Tennessee (Nov 2nd.), Syracuse (Nov. 5th.) and Marquette (Nov. 6th.).

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A view of the Churchill Downs finish line from the roof
of Churchill Downs...Don't ask, don't tell...

Churchill Downs will have the first of their Downs After Dark racing nights Friday. The eleven race card begins at 6 p.m. and admission is $10. Live music, food, beverages and DJ's rock the paddock area and the event drew well last year with over 35,000 attending.  Tonight's theme is "hot, summer nights" at the track and hot pink and hot orange is the color theme "with a 60's flair".

This old horse player will stick to his button down striped shirt and slacks. Gates open at 4 p.m. If you're looking to avoid the $10 charge, get there before 4 p.m. and take in a few of the simulcast broadcasts from tracks in New York, Chicago and Florida.

Tip to first time attendees: Be patient, be prepared to wait for food, beverages and betting if you hang out in the paddock area. For a less hectic experience...we recommend the second floor clubhouse area near Silks and Champions bars. There is air-conditioning, a food court and several restrooms. You just might run into the ol' P. himself there, menacingly strolling the area...muttering to himself and trying to figure out what went wrong in the previous race...or arguing with a trash can.


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The USA Women's U16 National Team begins semifinal play today at 4 p.m. against Puerto Rico. USA is 3-0 so far and faces a Puerto Rican team that embarrassed Guatemala 62-5 last time out. (No, it's not a mis-type) The standings for Group A and Group B below:

GROUP A                                                                          GROUP B

Canada 3-0                                                                         USA 3-0

Puerto Rico 2-1                                                                  Brazil 2-1

Mexico 1-2                                                                         Venezuela 1-2

Guatemala 0-3                                                                    Argentina 0-3

If the USA can defeat Puerto Rico, they would advance to the championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. We're predicting they get there easily and face off against Canada for the 2011 FIBA Americas title.

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The final Cardinal Caravan was held yesterday in the Buckhead's parking lot in Jeffersonville. Charlie Sprnger recaps the event over at his fine site: http://www.uoflcardgame.com/

Charlie Springer caught Tia Gibbs, Shawnta Dyer and Monique Reid  for a
photo at the Cardinal Caravan in Jeffersonville, IN. Be careful, Charlie..
Gibbs will steal the camera, throw it to Reid, who will feed Dyer for a dunk.

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