LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OPENS TODAY VS. CAL...FIELD HOCKEY FALLS TO UCONN...VOLLEYBALL FACES FSU -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS TIPOFF 2015-16 AGAINST BEARS

The highly awaited start of the Louisville women's basketball 2015-16 season takes place today at 2 p.m. in the KFC YUM! Center with Louisville facing the California Bears. 

The Cards will see today how talent adjusts to game time situations. With two starters back from last year in Mariya Moore and Myisha Hines-Allen, veterans Cortnee Walton and Arica Carter, former AAC Freshman of the Year Briahanna Jackson and ex-Evansville starting point guard Dakota Weatherford...the Cards do have several players who are used to the college game and the tempo and pace. How red-shirt freshman Sydney Brackemyre and true freshmen Asia Durr, Taja Cole, Erin DeGrate, Brianna Jones and Sam Fuehring adjust to (hopefully) 18,000 screaming fans later this afternoon is a key aspect in how well Louisville does today.

As Jeff Walz said earlier this week in a press conference...

"I'll tell you at 4 'o'clock Sunday."

Starters? Who will finish close games? It's all anybody's guess but Walz, the staff and players right now. I'll stick with my earlier venture this week in guessing that we'll see Sean Moth introduce Moore, Hines-Allen, Walton, Carter and Jackson...but I would not be surprised at all to see any different variation on this. 

As for the opponent...Lindsey Gottlieb's Cal Bears...they come into Louisville after a very average nine point win against an Austin Peay squad that was predicted to finish eighth out of twelve in the OVC Conference. Austin Peay was within five with 90 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Bears have talent in Gabby Green, Mikayla Cowling and Courtney Range. They have speed, height (including a 6'7" freshman Chinese center who comes off the bench) and press well. Predicted to finish third in the PAC 12...the Bears feature only nine players on the roster for this trip...but they appear to be a solid bunch and Gottlieb rotates the lineup frequently to keep all fresh.  

Hopefully, there will be a big crowd in the 2nd. and Main facility today to see this 2015-16 version of Louisville women's basketball. A version that has a ton of promise and upside but will experience some growing pains. 

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FIELD HOCKEY FALLS 3-0 TO UCONN


The season is over for Justine Sowry's Louisville Field Hockey squad....falling to #3 UConn 3-0 on the Huskies home turf in Storrs, CT. yesterday.

Louisville made a game of it early...keeping the Huskies off the board for the first 21 minutes...before a UConn drive resulted in their first score. The Cards would hold Connecticut scoreless the rest of the first half...the Huskies getting off six shots to Louisville's two. 

After the break, the squads would play 12 minutes before UConn stuck again...this time on a one-on-one penalty stroke. Connecticut ended the scoring, despite an increased and heightened Louisville offensive attack, with shot from just inside the circle with three minutes remaining. 

Sowry was factual about the loss:


" We're disappointed. We were prepared, we came in strong, looking for a really good performance. In the first half, we competed, we played well. In the second half, we really went away from our game plan and our identity. It's just a lack of discipline." 

The Cards finish the season 13-7.

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VOLLEYBALL VISITS THE 'NOLES TODAY

Louisville Volleyball looks to stay on top of the ACC Conference this afternoon when they visit Florida State for a 2 p.m. match in Tallahassee.

The Cards, 14-1 in conference, face a Seminole squad that is 13-2 in ACC play. A FSU win would create a three-way tie atop the conference with Louisville, FSU and UNC all at 14-2

The Cards will look to slow down kill artist Nicole Walch (345). Hailey Luck leads Florida State in setting. 

A tough test in tiny Tully Gym for Anne Kordes's squad today as the Cards look to ride the recent hot hands of Erin Fairs and Tess Clark. Providing the passing and the sets has been a process in perfection lately for Katie George and Molly Sauer and the Assumption duo will be counted on again today to slow down the FSU attack. 

I couldn't find any  TV for this one anywhere...but we'll have a full report on the action in the Monday Cardinal Couple column. 

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TURN UP THE RADIO!

Our weekly broadcast of THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR is now available on the heavenly Soundcloud at Crescent Hill Radio. 

 

Yesterday's show featured WorldWide in the studio and Paulie on remote and we had a great time reviewing the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports while listening to interviews with Justine Sowry, Anne Kordes, Sam Purcell and Jeff Walz. We also got a few tailgaters mixed in as well...all apparently in love with Worldwide. 

LINKIE:
THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

paulie
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