Cards travel to Purdue for 1st & 2nd rounds of NCAA Volleyball...

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Lady Cards will play Cardinals Friday in West Lafayette

-Baylor handles Vols...the Walker report

-Current top 15 rankings for College WBB

The University of Louisville will face Ball State Friday at 5 p.m. on Purdue's campus in their first round match of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Louisville received an 'at large' bid...based on their winning the BIG EAST regular season title...but was not one of the top 16 teams selected and did
not get a home venue for the first two rounds. Doesn't matter, according to head coach Anne Kordes:

"I couldn't be more excited. Purdue is a familiar venue for us in tournament time now. Coach Steve Shondell has done a phenomenal job at Ball State since getting there. They will be the toughest ball control and defensive team we will face all year. It's a very tough first round opponent. Our first goal is to concentrate on preparing for them because they are very good."

Purdue and Morehead State are the other two team beginning play at West Lafayette. Louisville has faced both this year, downing the Eagles Sunday in straight sets and falling to Purdue 3-2 back in September in Champaign, Ill. in the the BIG EAST/BIG 10 Challenge.

64 teams will compete for the title. From the BIG EAST, Cincinnati and Marquette join the Cards. The top four seeds were Texas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa State. The University of Kentucky also made the tournament and drew Dayton in the first round. The only other team from the state to receive a bid is Western Kentucky, who will play Marquette in the first round.

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(Sandra Walker reports on the Baylor vs. Tennessee game yesterday from Knoxville.)

16,000 fans watched Tennessee threaten Baylor's #1 ranking yesterday in the Thompson-Boling arena. Although the Vols out-rebounded the Bears 56-34, they took a 76-67 loss at home. UT used a solid 2-3 zone to slow Brittany Griner down, but, in the end...they were plagued by 29% field goal shooting and the Bears pulled away late for the nine point win.

Tennessee's early, stagnant 1-4 offense, their inability to capitalize on shots in the paint over the 6'8" Griner and a brief but futile effort to try and contain Griner in a man-to-man defensive set was too much for the Vols to overcome.

At halftime, Pat Summitt and her son Tyler made an announcement featuring the introduction of the Pat Summitt Foundation...whose purpose is to raise funds for the eradication of Alzheimer's disease. Featured events and a website are already in place. Additional plans are in the works.

There is a Facebook page set up and you can find out how to donate there or e-mail contactus@patsummitt.org

(Thanks, Sandy...for the great report on the game! WE, here at CARDINAL COUPLE have been touched with the dreaded dealings and heartbreak of Alzheimer's...Paul's Dad and one of his uncle's were diagnosed with it.

Pat's cause is a worthy one and we hope our readers will do what they can to contribute. )

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Top 15 rankings in Women's College Basketball from the AP and ESPN polls:

AP                                                                     ESPN/USA

1) Baylor                                                  1) Baylor

2) Connecticut                                           2) Connecticut

3) Stanford                                               3) Notre Dame

4) Notre Dame                                          4) Texas A&M

5) Texas A&M                                            5) Stanford

6) Tennessee                                            6) Duke

7) Duke                                                    7) Tennessee

8) Maryland                                               8) Maryland

9) Miami, FL.                                             9) Miami, FL.

10 Georgia                                                10) Georgia

11) LOUISVILLE                                        11) Kentucky

12) Oklahoma                                            12) LOUISVILLE

13) Rutgers                                               13) Rutgers

14) Kentucky                                             14) Oklahoma

15) Purdue                                                15) North Carolina

(Here's how we see it at CARDINAL COUPLE)

1) Baylor. Bears have done nothing wrong this year. Won at tough Tennessee
2) UConn. They're not missing Maya Moore yet...
3) Texas A&M. They can punish you inside or out.
4) Notre Dame. Muffett has a strong cast of returning stars, good freshmen
5) Stanford. The Ogumike sisters still there. Lost to UConn, beat Xavier.
6) Duke. The best in the ACC this year. Should have beat Notre Dame.
7) LOUISVILLE. With Mo back and only one loss, the Cards are for real.
8) Maryland. Brenda will give the ACC title chase her full effort.
9) KENTUCKY. This group of Cats have some sharp claws and shoot well
10) Tennessee. Despite two losses, the Vols are solid, best in the SEC.
11) Rutgers. C-Viv has a strong, deep roster this year.
12) Miami, FL. Don't know a thing about them...but everyone likes them.
13) North Carolina. Sylvia's stars depleted, but Chay Shegog is all that.
14) Oklahoma. Will pull a few BIG 12 upsets. Team has a shot vs. Baylor.
15) Florida State. Despite the early rough going, Sue has a talented team. 

I know, we're heavy on ACC teams in here (5)...but there's a lot of talent in that league this year. Second best conference, next to the BIG EAST.  We almost stuck DePaul in at #15...but the loss to San Diego State was puzzling and they've got Tennessee coming up in the Maggie Dixon Classic...wait and see on the Blue Demons and Keisha Hampton currently...

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