Championship weekend -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FOUR WOMEN'S SPORTS PROGRAMS ENTER CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND

We sometimes lament the slow period we go through here at Cardinal Couple about news concerning the UofL women's sports programs during the summer months. That certainly isn't the case...beginning today...with championships being held for Softball, Rowing and Track and Field in the ACC and Lacrosse starting the NCAA Championships. Here's what you need to keep you on top of your (and their) games. 

SOFTBALL #2 SEED IN ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS

We start the title quests today when Louisville Softball begins play in Raleigh, NC for the ACC Championships. The Cards come in as the #2 seed and will face #7 seed Syracuse at 5 p.m. in the three day, single elimination tournament for the automatic NCAA bid. 

Louisville did take two out of three against the Orange at Ulmer Stadium in the conference schedule...not the best of weekends, according to Sandy Pearsall...and will face nemesis Syracuse and their ace pitcher Anna Marie Gatti. She hurled a two-hitter against the Cards in a 4-0 Syracuse win back on 4/23 and has had a week's rest to prepare for the Cards. 

Louisville will look to the dynamic duo of Maryssa Becker and Megan Hensley to have big games (our second version of the M&M girls) and reduce the left-on-base stats that are one of Pearsall's main complaints. With eight Cards batting over .300 and two knocking at that door...we hope the force is with Louisville at the plate. 

This one is one ESPN 3 and the winner gets the winner of the Virginia Tech vs. Notre Dame game that will follow around 7:30 or so.

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BEST

The scene is Lake Hartwell, nestled near Clemson, SC, for the ACC Rowing Championships and the Cards hit the water on Friday for the preliminary events...followed by the finals on Saturday. 

Virginia is the favorite and top seed in all five contests...varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight, varsity four and second varsity four. Nine ACC schools will compete in the championships. The Cards are seeded #2 in the third varsity eight, #3 in the second varsity four, #4 in the varsity eight and varsity four and #5 in the second varsity eight. 

Although the Cavs are the odds-on favorite to get their seventh straight ACC title (and 15th out of 16th)...Louisville is one of several squads that will be contending for second place...against strong rowing programs at Notre Dame, Syracuse and Duke...all ranked in the nation's top twenty. Louisville, not ranked, has been receiving votes for the top 20 in the nation. 

ESPN 3 will televise Saturday's finals...beginning at 8 a.m.


HERE WE GO WITH THE RUN, JUMP AND THROW

Louisville Track and Field is in Tallahassee, FL for the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and shot and discus star Emmonnie Henderson will continue her quest for Rio against a strong field. Henderson recorded first place in the shot in the Rankin-Poehlin Invitational last weekend at Purdue and finished second in the discus...falling only to former Card Jere Summers by just a few feet despite her best discus toss of the season. Summers is also on the Louisville track and field staff and a hopeful for the Olympics. 

Look for Bryanne Brown and Holly Hankerson (100 meter hurdles), Kayla Tyson (200 meters), Lydia Mato and Claire Noser (1500 meters) and the 4X100 relay team to score top marks for the Cards as well. 

Action gets underway Friday for the three-day event and you can follow the team's results on Twitter...as well as here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Live scoring should also be available at gocards.com

NORTHWESTERN, AGAIN? 


 Louisville Lacrosse starts their third straight NCAA Championship campaign against Northwestern Friday night at 7 p.m. in South Bend, IN. The Cards began their 2015 NCAA quest against Northwestern as well and faced the Wildcats in the second round of the 2014 tournament.

Who says the NCAA hasn't seen the Bill Murray movie GROUNDHOG DAY? 

The Wildcats knocked Loucrosse out of the tournament the previous two years but the Cards hold a regular season 10-4 victory over the BIG 10 squad as part of their 12-5 record.

If successful, Louisville would face Notre Dame in the second round. The Cards split with the Irish this season, defeating them in conference play 10-9 and falling to them in the ACC Championships 10-12. 

Hannah Koloski leads the Cards in goals scored with 41. 

Louisville will look to overcome the loss of sophomore goalie Brittany Read with a stellar defensive contingent of Emily Howell, Courtney Boyd, Blair Bernhardt and Steph McNamara complementing and protecting new goalkeep Kelly Gielner.

Offensively...the Cards will look to Kaylin Morissette, Cortnee Daley, Heidi Smith, Madison Hoover, Jillian Balog and Kelli Gerding to find the back of the net. 

This one will be available on ESPN 3 also. 

We wish all our brave competitors the best of luck over the next four days and hope that they return to campus with more trophies for their respective trophy cases! We'll review the successes and results on our Saturday morning radio show on WCHQ 100.9 FM...THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR AT 11 A.M. and at the website here as well...

paulie
xxxxx