School and sports are here -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

As parents around our county rejoice today as JCPS and Carholic school start back today, we also get closer to the start of official contests down on the UofL campus. 

As Paulie mentioned yesterday, the USA U23 women's basketball team completed their overseas education and blew out Japan to end their three game round-robin in the Land of the Rising Sun. Paulie quoted Jeff Walz yesterday and how proud he was of this group. Asia Durr did what she does best and put on a show for the folks in Tokyo. I know Cards fans will join me in being excited about what she can do this year. 

Field Hockey starts things off this weekend with a scrimmage against Miami (OH) at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Trager Field. If you go, remember the folks at McDonald's don't want you parking in their lot...but there is a parking garage right down the street on campus. They follow that one up with a scrimmage against the alumni on Saturday at 2 p.m. In the interview we played on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR this past Saturday you heard head coach Justine Sowry talk about how this was the toughest schedule that they would face since she has been head coach at Louisville. With an increased quality of non-conference foes and the always tough ACC, the "stick girls" will have their challenges. 

Women's soccer gets the honor of having the first actual regular season contest in women's sports when they tangle with Boston University Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Lynn Stadium. Coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes (or Coach K, as Paulie likes to call her) has a talented group and they did take exhibition action last Saturday against DePaul 2-0 and held the visitors to just two shots. The Cards will miss Shelby Cohen out for the season with a knee injured and a not quite 100% Niamh Nelson...but our soccer expert Case Hoskins will have more on that later this week. Be sure to catch his takes on "the women of the pitch." The "kickin Cards" will also host Miami (OH) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Volleyball, too, gets things started this weekend with the annual Red/Black scrimmage and newly renovated Cardinal Arena. It's new head coach Dani Busboom Kelly's debut for Louisville and the first showing of the new home of Cardinal Volleyball. Worldwide Jeff McAdams has all the knowledge in the world on Volleyball but I thought I'd share who I think will get the start for the "Boom" girls eventually.     

Molly Sauer - a no brainer
Tess Clark - another no brainer. She's an outside hitter now and should be a good one
Melanie McHenry - staying with the obvious trend. Another outside hitter with power.
Kali Eakin - setter. With Morgan Miller transferred, she the one with experience and the only one that has experience with the current team. 
Gabby Wiley - defender. A senior and leader, she has the experience will will have plenty of competition for the role. 
Jasmine Bennett. She has steadily improved since she arrived here and has some power behind her hits. 

I hope to see you at Volleyball matches this year. Please join the Cardinal Couple crew and come out and cheer on "The Wide Net girls" in Boom Arena! 


Jared Anderson