Volleyball rises in poll -- Soccer news -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

VOLLEYBALL NOW #22 IN AVCA POLL

Our boys "mug it up" with a few
Volleyballers

Since the debacle against Kentucky back on Sept 14th...Louisville Volleyball has quietly but effectively done nothing but win. The victory streak is up to seven games now -- with the 3-0 sweep of Wake Forest on Sunday -- and the Cards are now getting a bit of national and regional recognition as well now. 

Louisville (13-4, 6-0) climbed to #22 in the nation in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) poll recently and freshman middle blocker EMILY SCOTT was named ACC Freshman of the Week yesterday for her efforts out on the hardwood against conference foes the Duke Blue Devils and Winston-Salem's finest...the Wake Forest Demon Deacs.  

Dani Busboom Kelly has built the squad around a combination of old and new...and had to deal with a few significant injuries along the way.  Senior MOLLY SAUER, the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, is having another stellar season with 268 digs...just short of 16 per match. (Maybe Bobby Petrino should consult her on his current defensive woes). She's also provided 21 service aces. We'll say it..."Good Golly, Miss Molly!" 

MELANIE McHENRY, everyone's favorite Speedway Sprocket,  has been credited for 217 kills on the season, tops for the Cards, and is just 33 short of reaching the 1,000 kill club at Louisville. The junior also has a little football in her high school background but Cardinal Volleyball fans know her for those vicious floor burners she sends over the net. You can thank WILMA RIVERA for a lot of that success. The Setter of The Year in the ACC last year, she's already "helped out" 650 times this season and is a high risk, high reward server who's notched 20 service aces in 2018. Since transferring her from Penn State, she's been a superlative and intergral part of the Cards attack and I know Fred Flinstone is out there somewhere yelling "Wilma!" or maybe "Yabba Dabba Doo!" after each magical set up.

AMANDA GREEN, PIPER ROE, MIA STANDER, MARIJKE VAN DYKE...and many others have helped build this squad into a top 25 contender. And, the Cards have also had to overcome significant injuries with ALEXIS HAMILTON out for the year (knee), and JASMINE BENNETT and KELLY O'NEIL watching from the end zone recently because of dings and dents. 

Roc the Panther has something to growl about this year
in Volleyball 

The Cards are one of two ACC schools ranked in the top 25. Pittsburgh is cruising along at #6 in the nation...sporting a perfect overall and ACC record. Our Volleyball "savant" Jeff McAdams has seen a bit of Panther play and assures me that they are the "real deal" and the Cards will face a very strong foe on Oct 21st. (a Sunday) when the Cards travel to the Fitzgerald Field House on "the Hill" to face them. 

The Cards and Panthers finished atop the ACC last year and all indicators point to a similar finish in 2018. Plenty of Volleyball left in the season, though, and it continues when the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame visit Cardinal Arena tomorrow night for an ACC show down. UND is 10-6 on the season and 4-2 in conference but stumbled in five sets against Duke Sunday. 

The Cards and Irish start at 7 p.m. and it'll be available on the ACC Network Extra if you can't attend.


UPDATE ON ROUSE 

We've noticed lately that Cardinal sophomore midfielder MOLLIE ROUSE hasn't been "on the pitch" for Louisville women's soccer contest. A confirmed sighting of her at a recent game, sitting in street clothes in the "Boyle" section of the stadium watch the Cards play raised some questions.

Transfer? Injury? Suspension? Alzheimers?  

A CARDINAL COUPLE associate ran into her leaving Lynn Stadium after the Miami game and confirmed that the English sophomore is looking to transfer. No further details were provided. 

Rouse spent the first part of the season playing for the English National Team in World Cup competition before arriving on campus. She's play in five contests for the Cards, starting two games. A total of 204 minutes on the Lynn Stadium turf with two goals, one assist and eight shots. 

Each side has two stories. We've haven't heard UofL's version yet and may not. Understandable there. Rouse declined on commenting as well, except to confirm her transfer plans. There's as many reasons for a player transferring as there are blades of grass on a soccer field, so we'll take the high road here and wish her the best of success on wherever she ends up. 


DID YOU KNOW? 

If you watch the Cards WSOC squad on the ACC Network Extra, you've undoubtedly noticed the dulcet tones of one of the women's commentators providing the analysis. That would be ERIN YENNEY...who played for Karen Ferguson Dayes squad from 2011-14. 

The former mid-fielder from Troy, OH came to Louisville and made an impact immediately...starting all 24 matches her first year. After graduation, she continued her soccer pursuits, spending 2016 with the Swedish football club Ostersunds DDF, 2017 in Colombia playing for Independiente Santa Fe and 2018 with the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. 

Erin played in 72 matches as a Cardinal and scored 13 goals in her time as a student-athlete. She's one of those Cardinals that actually played in three conferences during her time at UofL...the Big East, AAC and ACC. 

We're guessing she's got a pretty huge and varied collection of different conference t-shirts, jerseys and logo-ed travel bags stashed. We heartily approve of Erin transition from the floor to the booth! Erin, go announce! 

Erin was one of Paulie's favorite WSOC players back then and, I'm pretty sure that if I researched Cardinal Couple back files and history...I could find a clip or two of us interviewing her after a game or at a Fall Sports Media Day. It's always good to have "one of your own" up behind the microphone providing analysis of the action. The sad thing is that I don't get to hear her call, since I'm at all home Louisville women's soccer games covering the action while she's two booths over doing work. 

Erin's been a pretty popular first name among Cardinal women's athletes over the years.

Your assignment today:  Name three other "Erin's" that come to mind associated with Louisville women's sports. No "Googling" the results!  



paulie
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