Split Decisions as Two Cardinal Teams Open Season -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Field Hockey Shuts Out Indiana

After a somewhat disappointing offensive performance against Miami (OH) on Sunday, the Louisville Field Hockey team set out to learn some lessons from that game. The Cards were able to put those lessons learned to good use in their first opportunity, as they took it to Indiana yesterday, finishing the game with a final score of 5-0. Bethany Russ scored three goals for the Cards, her first career hat trick coming in the first game of her senior season. Also scoring for the Cards were Madison Walsh and Mercedes Pastor. Walsh also picked up an assist, while Whena Munn assisted on two goals as well. 

The scoring started early, with Russ getting to the IU goal just over three minutes into the game. It was Louisville's first shot of the season, and it found the back of the cage. Good start. The Cards and Hoosiers would finish the rest of the first quarter without any goals, as Louisville continued to pressure the goal but couldn't get anything else to show for it. Louisville's scoring difficulties were dismissed in the second quarter. The Cards scored their next three goals in the first 5:12 of the second quarter, scoring on all three shots in that time period.

Louisville was stifled for much of the second half. According to Coach Justine Sowry, IU adjusted the pace of play and Louisville was unable to react effectively to continue the relentless pressure from before. Flexibility to play styles in different situations is a portion of their game on which the Cards will need to work. Louisville did finally get a fifth goal late in the game, with Bethany Russ scoring her third with just under three minutes remaining in the game, a nice parallel to her first goal.

Despite the strong overall showing, one glaring question remains: who will be the primary goalie going forward? That question wasn't really answered yesterday. Hollyn Barr and Sam Minrath both played 30 minutes yesterday, with Barr taking the 1st half quarters and Minrath getting the 2nd. Both finished with one save, thus giving no one a positional advantage in the shutout. Coach Sowry has been clear that there is not yet a favorite for the position, and has backed that up by giving the two goalies different opportunities with their playing time. It may be notable that Barr has started in both this game and the scrimmage against Miami, but there may not be a lot there given the way that the playing time has otherwise been split. If they can effectively both play significant minutes and continue to not give up goals, maybe it doesn't even matter if there is a true starter.

The Cards will be back in action on Sunday at 12PM when they host UMASS at Trager Stadium. The two have met just twice previously, most recently in 2015. The Cards have won both games in the history of the matchup, but with such a long time between the games (12 years between games one and two and now four years since the last game), the historical matchup is probably not particularly indicative. The Cards will look to continue the strong offensive showing and clean up some of the missteps against the Hoosiers.

Volleyball Falters in Opener Against Florida

Once again, Louisville volleyball is opening the season with a very tough couple of matchups. Once again, they find themselves in a hole to start the season. In front of a sold out crowd at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena, the Cards stumbled their way through a season opening sweep. Louisville kept it fairly close in the second and third sets, ultimately losing both 21-25, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, neither of which describes the sport of volleyball. 

Louisville's issues from last night aren't hard to find when you open the box score. Louisville was outblocked 14-3 by Florida, and the Cards finished the night with a whopping .107 hitting percentage. While blocks do contribute to the final error number, committing 21 errors while finishing only 32 kills is not an ideal situation. Melanie McHenry led the team with 11 kills, while committing only 5 errors for a final percentage of .222. She was second on the team in hitting, behind Anna Stevenson who finished with a .286 on six kills. The freshman we're all looking for to have a big season as a hitter, Aiko Jones, had a night not worth writing home about, putting in 4 kills but adding 5 errors and finishing with a negative .071. Amaya Tillman was also negative with 2 errors on 8 attempts and no kills. She did contribute with the only solo block on the night and two block assists, however. 

Outside of hitting, Louisville was forced into positions they couldn't quite be fans of. Alexis Hamilton, as expected, led the team with 11 digs, though that number seems rather small. McHenry was forced into defensive action as well, with seven digs herself. The one that stands out as rather unfortunate is 11 total digs between Tori Dilfer and Shannon Shields. Defensive action by a setter is considered a loss on any possession. While it may not guarantee a loss of a point, it certainly puts you in a bad offensive position. Think trying to play an offensive possession in basketball but your point guard is off limits. 

In the setter battle, Dilfer appears to have a lead, as she started all three sets and saw the lion's share of the playing time. She finished with 19 of the Cards 29 assists on the night on 47 attempts. Shields finished with just 5 on 31 attempts, which is not quite as good. However, Shield was not likely playing with the 1s quite as often as Dilfer, giving her a bit of a pass in that particular category. I imagine that the setter battle will continue for at least a bit longer. If nothing else, Shields would be a more than serviceable backup to spell Dilfer for whatever reason. 

All in all, it was an unfortunate way to start the season, but we are talking about taking on a top-ten team in the country. It would have been nice to take a set, but it wasn't like Louisville was beaten by ten in each set of the sweep either. The Cards lost by an average of just over five points per set, which can easily be swung on any given day. Louisville will get a chance at redemption tonight when they take on Texas A&M at 7PM (or following the Florida/Dayton match, whichever comes later). Head on over to the Arena to root on the Cards.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Well, we're in it now. Four games this week have us ready to bring the heat on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour. The summer slump is officially over, and it's time to get back into the groove. Tune in as the stars align to allow the A-Team to get back together in the studio this week. The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour begins at 11AM on WCHQ. Find WCHQ at 100.9FM on local radio, the WCHQ App, at wchqfm.com, or watch along on Facebook Live.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Cards Edge Saint Louis -- Weekend Scheduling -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Take Down Saint Louis

For the second straight match women's soccer shut out their opponent, this time taking down Saint Louis 1-0.  Brooklynn Rivers' goal in the second half was the only difference.

The two teams played through a defensive battle for most of the match.  Despite Louisville's ferocious attack that featured shot after shot and ample opportunities to score the Billikens stood there ground and sent the Cards heading back the other direction empty handed.

The best chance to score was when the Saint Louis goalkeeper found herself on the ground and Arianna Ferraro's shot went high and to the right.  Emina Ekic saw a couple good looks too, but Saint Louis turned her away.

Early in the second half Niamh Nelson sent a ball downfield to Rivers.  Rivers passed the ball to Ekic, who turned around to feed the senior as she dodged the Saint Louis goalkeeper.  It was the second goal of the season for Rivers.

Officially, Saint Louis had two shots on goal, which Gabby Kouzelos managed with ease.  Kouzelos was crucial in disrupting the Billikens' offense and intercepted several passes.  She had plenty of help from an experienced back line in Ferraro, Nelson, Sarah Hernandez, and Ravin Alexander.

Louisville has outscored opponents 6-1 through the first three matches.  Most noticeably, UofL shows signs of extreme aggressiveness and speed.  The Cards have enough scorers that they can shift momentum of any match in a heartbeat.

The 3-0 Cards host Eastern Michigan on Sunday evening for their third straight home match and part of a seven game home stand. This one starts at 7:30 p.m.

EMU traveled to East Lansing last night and dropped a lightning-shortened game to Michigan State last night 2-0. The Eagles head to Louisville with a 1-1-1 record. 



They Said It: 


Postgame with Gabby Kouzelos and Brooklynn Rivers

Postgame with Karen Ferguson Dayes


CSX RAILROAD decided to celebrate the Cards win with a drive-by during the interviews and UPS chimed in, as well, with a fly over. Planes, trains but no emergency vehicles last night. Sorry if the audio is a bit blocked out during these. Only two trains during the actual game...Paulie and I set the over/under at three...so, if you had the "under", head to the window and get paid.


Weekend Scheduling

There's plenty happening on campus over the weekend.  In fact, just go ahead and set up a tent on Floyd Street for a few days.

Friday

Field hockey kicks off their regular season against cross-river rival Indiana at 3:00.  Admission is free.  Just be wary of the water cannons at halftime.

Head across the street after that to go watch volleyball kick off their regular season against a ranked Florida team at 7:00.  The Cardinal Classic features several teams so seating inside the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena may be a bit scarce.

.

Saturday

Volleyball continues their run in the Cardinal Classic.  The Cards will face their second straight SEC squad in Texas A&M at 7:00.

Sunday

Field hockey continues their home stint and will square off against Massachusetts at noon.

Volleyball wraps up the Cardinal Classic when they face Dayton at 1:00.

Women's soccer will play their third straight home game at 7:30 against Eastern Michigan.


Monday

With the extended holiday weekend UofL sports football also kicks off their season by hosting a Top 10 Notre Dame team at 8:00 pm.  Take your midday nap for this one!

I will be taking the weekend off outside of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour and the football game to enjoy some time with Katy.  Through rescheduled flights and enough flight delays to field an entire soccer team she finally made it in town shortly after 1 a.m...  Stay tuned into Paulie, Worldwide, and Case for all your coverage this weekend.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared

Of Gaby, Cards women's soccer and just what is a Billiken? -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

2019 U 23 USA Women's National Team

Former UofL women's soccer team star Gaby Vincent and her teammates prepare for competition tonight in the Nordic Tournament tonight with an International friendly against Portugal in Philadelphia. 

Vincent, who now plays for the Utah Royals FC squad is one of 16 players from the National Women's Soccer League and the only Louisville Cardinal and Utah Royals player on the roster. 

Vincent has adjusted well, it seems, to the life of a pro. It looks to be the start of a great career for her. Her selection marks the first time she has been selected for any of the programs in the USYNT system. 

At Louisville, she made 54 appearances in games and the defender had six goals and three assists. 

Speaking of Louisville...


CARDS VS BILLIKENS TONIGHT

Louisville women's soccer puts their 2-0 record on the line tonight with a match against the St. Louis Billikens tonight in Lynn Stadium. The 7:30 p.m. match is on the ACCNX Network and features two very good squads. 

St. Louis is 1-1 on the season, with a 2-0 win over Indiana State at home and a 1-0 loss to highly regarded Notre Dame in South Bend. The ACC has five schools ranked in the top 25 in the latest polls. Neither Louisville, St. Louis nor Notre Dame are in the top 25 despite their early season success so far, but Louisville and Notre Dame are receiving votes. 

St. Louis is 9-2 all-time against the Cards. They were a perfect 9-0 when both schools were in Conference USA, but the Billikens have lost the last two when the squads faced in non-conference matchups.

St. Louis has seven starters back from the 2018 squad, including four that were selected for the A-10 preseason team and and -- in Alli Klug -- a senior defensive back, that was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. 

The Billikens were picked to win the A-10 in the conference's pre-season poll. The question we've got is...


 WHAT IS A BILLIKEN? 

"Spoon" 

A Billiken is a mythical good luck figure that "represents life the way it should be". 

Before he became St. Louis's mascot, he was a national sensation in the early 1900's. The Billiken was reproduced as dolls, marshmallows, piggy banks, hat pins, pickle forks, belt buckles, car hood ornaments, salt and pepper shakers -- and more.

No one is really sure when he became the St. Louis mascot. A popular myth is that he was adopted because he resembled former SLU men's basketball coach, the late Charlie Spoonhour. But, it goes back way before that...

Other rumors trace it back to an exchange between two SLU coaches -- attributed to the remark..."Well, you really have a bunch of Billikens on the field!" and the football squad was affectionately named "Bender's Billiken's" 

It was believed that buying a Billiken gave you good luck, but to receive a Billiken as a gift gave you even greater luck. 


There is a statue of a Billiken outside SLU's Chaifetz Arena and there is a student tradition of rubbing the Billiken's belly for good luck. 

And, now you know...

I've also got a great story about meeting Spoonhour in an airport years ago and our lively discussion about Coach Denny Crum and his prediction for one of his players. 

I'll share the "Tater" story with you sometime down the road, and how I ended up with a stuffed,toy Billiken. 

Let's hope the SLU WSOC squad doesn't stop off and rub the belly before heading to Louisville today...hopefully, UofL gives the Billikens a belly-ache tonight. 


paulie
xxxxx

Field Hockey Ranked in Preseason Poll - WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Field Hockey Ranked in Preseason Poll

There was good news for UofL Field Hockey yesterday.  They were announced as the number 12 team in the NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) Preseason Poll.  The tricky part is that every other ACC team was also named in the Top 25.

Reigning NCAA Champion North Carolina is the heavy favorite as preseason #1.  Duke is ranked 3rd and was the only other team that received first place votes.  Wake Forest is the other ACC team in the top 10 coming in at 10th.  Virginia and Boston College sandwich UofL at 11th and 13th, respectively.  Syracuse caps off the conference, coming in at 18th.

11 of the Cards' 18 opponents are ranked in the preseason Top 25 making for one of the toughest schedules in the country.  Coach Sowry has no fear when facing tough competition.  She also knows that a tough schedule and a strong RPI are crucial to make the NCAA Tournament.

This is the 65th straight week that UofL has been in the rankings.  They've reached as high as 8th.  At the end of last season the Cards were ranked 12th and somehow managed to get snubbed from the 18-team tournament.  If they can improve on the 13-6 record from a year ago they should have no problem getting around the politics and make the Big Dance for the 5th time in Sowry's nine years.

There was one major change to field hockey this year.  Instead of two 35-minute halves there are now four 15-minute quarters.  You might be thinking that the time doesn't add up but that's because the clock stops on penalty corners now, helping even the time back out.  One reason for the switch to quarters is to help with TV and the commercials. It also gives the coaches more chances for planning. More importantly, the four quarters are being instituted by the NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) from FIH (Federation Internationale de Hockey) who switched to the quarter system for professional and high levels of hockey earlier this summer.

From most accounts and the chatter we've heard, the switch is getting approval from the players and coaches.  Coach Sowry likes the switch over and even some of the alumnae we interviewed recently approve of the change.

Louisville Field Hockey starts the regular season at home this Friday at 3:00 against Indiana.  They're also home on Sunday at noon against Massachusetts.  Admission is free.  Just be wary of the halftime water cannons at the half. .

In other scheduling notes, women's soccer (2-0) takes on Saint Louis tomorrow night at 7:30.  This game does require a ticket to enter.  Paulie will provide a preview on the 1-1 Billikens tomorrow.  Maybe he can also explain to us what a Billiken is?

Cardinal Couple coverage of the Cards vs. St. Louis match will be lessened by one, since Case Hoskins will be at a work function

Paulie will be reporting and watching from the press box and I'll be on the sidelines taking pictures and trying to refrain from illegal field participation while attempting to assist the ball girls.

Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Fall UofL women's sporrts -- Do You Have A Favorite? -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EIGHT FALL SPORTS TO CHOOSE FROM...WHO YA GOT? 

As the women's fall sports begin to create headlines and compete in their schedules, events, meets and matches...our question today is pretty simple. Do you have a favorite? 

As I look at our CARDINAL COUPLE writing staff and radio crew, there is a diversity of thoughts on that. WE, of course, want all the student-athletes that compete for UofL to do well. 

I'll start with me. I have had the pleasure of getting to know the coaches and some of the players that compete in Field Hockey, Golf, Rowing, Soccer, Swimming and Diving,Tennis and Volleyball.

It is hard for me to just pick one. I enjoy them all very much and attend/report on as many as I can, but...I will admit to a preference in Field Hockey. 

Justine Sowry has had some very successful athletes in her decade at UofL. The best goal-keeper in the world in Ayeshia McFerran. the squad has two very excellent goal-keepers vying for that open spot now in Sam Minrath and Hollyn Barr. A ton of proficient scorers on roster in Meche Pastor, Bethany Russ, Erica Cooper, Whena Munn and Madison Walsh -- plus a freshman class that could be one of the best in Sowry's time here in India Reed, Emilia Kaczmarczyk, Margot Lawn,  Minna Tremonti, Mattie Tabor and Julie Kouijzer. 

I absolutely love the idea of an Alumnae vs. Student-Athlete scrimmage each year and have gotten some excellent, funny and fabulous interviews over the years with the squad grads. Coach Sowry is always a frank, sometimes tongue-in-cheek and matter-of-fact interview. 

In horse racing terminology, it's a photo finish at Paulie Downs to determine the winner, but it's Field Hockey by the length of a field hockey ball. They went 2-0 in the preseason and start the regular season.

Jeff is a Volleyball guy. He's a season ticket holder, leads cheers from the stands and knows quite a bit about the sport. And, he plays a bit of the game as well. He is a student of the game and goes into detail , so that you, the reader, are up on things like "the 6-2" the competition in the ACC and player status. 

Case's knowledge in women's soccer is unparalleled in the journalistic world, so his choice is pretty obvious as well. It's a blessing, joy and benefit to have him helping me in our coverage of WSOC this year. He played Soccer in high school and post-graduation until an injury sidelined him last year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him return to an active status down the road. No doubt about his favorite...Women's Soccer.

It's a bit more difficult to say which is Jared's favorite Fall Sport, since he photographs so many. I texted him to try and pin him down. He went with women's soccer also. His response was: 

"Soccer is a sport that I can switch back and forth between taking pictures and cheering. Since I've been following the sports at UofL, soccer is the only team that wasn't already good (consistently ranked in the top 25) and I've been able to watch the program improve over time. Soccer is one of the sports that can change with only one goal. They've also been  the biggest supporters of my photography out of all of the fall sports".

Put Jared down in the Women's Soccer category as well, as a favorite. 

It is relevant to point out that we love ALL of our fall sports squads and try to give them as much coverage as possible. Based on our writing schedule here at CARDINAL COUPLE, it could be Case doing an article on Field Hockey or Jeff on women's soccer. Jared discussing golf -- the combinations are endless. 

So, dear reader...we pass the ball to you. Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section (and why). Tell us, because we are all about the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports and YOU are Cardinal Couple -- something we appreciate and never forget. 

Tee it up, deliver us a perfect response, go for the net, send an ace down the line, dive right in, run for the wire and navigate the waters while sticking one on the green in your ace of a response. 


Paulie
xxxxx

Louisville Field Hockey, Women's Soccer Win On Sunday -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Success nf Floyd Street again on Sunday as two Cardinal women's squad won their respective bird battles. Field Hockey squad started the day with a 1-0 scrimmage win over the Miami (OH) RedHawks and Women's Soccer sealed the deal with a 3-0 victory over the Morehead State Eagles. 


FIELD HOCKEY

A good crowd on hand in Trager Stadium for the first action of the day, maybe bolstered by the fact that Miani (OH) squad has three players from three players from Louisville Christian Academy on their squad. With bright sunny skies and 81 degree weather in the area, Louisville shone the brightest with the 1-0 win over the Oxford, OH visitors.

Whena Munn (pronounced "Thena") got the match's lone goal. The Wellington, New Zealand senior took a feed off a cross from the left side right post from freshman Minna Tremonti (out of Ann Arbor, Michigan) in the 27th minute of play in the first half and gave UofL the lead for good. 

Field Hockey is four quarters now, instea of two halves,and....despite the low score -- Louisville looked to be the aggressor and more dominant. There was also a 10-minute overtime and "shootout" after the contest. The Cards won both of those as well -- 1-0 in the overtime and 3-1 in the five-player per side tie breaking feature. Both coaches agreed to the extra practice. 

Still no clear choice in the battle for Cards goalkeeper. Redshirt freshman Sam Minrath (also from Louisville and Christian Academy) started "in keep" for Louisville and played the first half. Redshirt junior Hollyn Barr protected the pipes in the third and fourth quarter. Minrath had one save, Barr two. 

UofL had a 13-6 shot advantage in the match...and had six shots on goal, compared to Miami's three. 

We have Coach Justine's post game comments linked up below. The Cards start the regular season Friday, August 30th. when Indiana comes to town for a 3 p.m. match. Paulie mistakenly muttered "post-season" instead of "pre-season" at the end of the interview which drew a quizzical look and reply from Coach and a bit of joshing after the interview.

It happens.  

LINK:  COACH SOWRY COMMENTS


(photos by Jared Anderson) 


SOCCER KICKS PAST MOREHEAD STATE 3-0 

Under cloudy conditions and a bit of rain later in the contest, Louisville women's Soccer displayed multiple scoring skills and a very solid defense in their 3--0 win over Morehead State last night, 

Sophomore midfielder Maisie Whitsett (San Diego, CA) got the party started when she took a pass from senior Arianna Ferraro 24 minutes into the contest to make it 1-0 Cards. The first half ended with thar 1-0 Cardinal lead. Despite the Cards winning the possesion stat 70% to 30%, Louisville's nine shots and 4 on goal were hampered by the excellent play of Morehead State goalkeeper Grace Gaffney (Danville, KY) 

Louisville picked up two more scores in the final half. Sophomore Delaney Snyder (Moon Township, PA) received a nice feed from Emina Ekic seven minutes into second half play to make it 2-0 Cards. 10 minutes later, it was Allison Whitfield's set up for sophomore Sarah Hernandez (Moorpark, CA) that resulted in the contest's final score. 

Louisville dominated the stats with 17 shots. The Cards also had a 14-0 advantage in corner kicks. Louisville went deep into the roster, playing 21 student-athletes and we got to see redshirt-sophomore goalkeper Lana Batson (San Diego, CA) tend the pipes for 32 minutes in the second half. 

Team Captain Arianna Ferraro left the game after a collision in the second half and did not return. Her status is currently unknown for Louisville's next game -- Thursday night against St. Louis. 

Case Hoskins and I caught up with Coach Karen Ferguson Dayes and Snyder after the contest for post-game remarks linked up below. If you haven't done so, be sure to follow Case's in-game Tweets this women's soccer season. 

(@bstCASEscenario)

They are informative and quite detailed. 

LINK: DELANEY SNYDER INTERVIEW

LINK: KAREN Ferguson Dayes


paulie
xxxxx 



  

Cardinals Sweep Saturday - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Exhibition Saturday Success

An afternoon of exhibition competitions led to an afternoon of victories for the Cardinal women teams.  Field Hockey and Volleyball were both in action, and both saw good successes against their respective opponents.

Field Hockey

The afternoon got underway with a 1pm pass back at Trager Stadium with the Field Hockey taking the field against their traditional first exhibition opponents, The Cardinal Alumnae.

The Alumnae would get on the scoreboard first with a first quarter goal by Class of 2013 graduate, and current Assistant Coach Erin Schneidtmiller, but that would be the only goal success the Alumnae would get.  The current squad evened it up midway through the second quarter (yes, they're playing 15 minute quarters, now) to take the tie into halftime. Sacred Heart (Louisville) freshman Mattie Tabor got the current student-athletes on the board. 

The current squad would go on to score several more times in the last two quarters to hand a resounding defeat to the alumnae.  Because this was an exhibition match, we don't have stats sheets to dive into significant depth.

Ultimately, the is a warmup for the season, it's the first chance for the current squad to field a team on the field against an external opponent in a line-up that could be used in official game play.  It's a good time for everyone, and good competitive play to prepare for the season ahead.

A bonus dose of joy and excitement as Sherrill Brakmeier, the Grand Dame of UofL Field Hockey was in attendance and celebrated her birthday with the team and alumnae.

The squad will be back in action today at 2pm against Miami of Ohio, also in exhibition play, and will open their official season against Indiana on Friday with a 3pm start.

Below, Paulie post-game interviews with Coach Sowry, Hannah Boyle and the "three amigos"

LINK:  JUSTINE SOWRY

LINK:  HANNAH BOYLE

LINK:  ABBY GRIMES, STEPHANIE BYRNE AND MARIGRACE RAGSDALE

Thanks to Jared for the video work here. They were dealing with wind issues and the P.A. system, so we've included Paulie audio below as well.

LINK: HANNAH BOYLE (AUDIO ONLY)

LINK: GRIMES, BYRNE AND RAGSDALE

LINK: JUSTINE SOWRY

Volleyball

After their intra-squad scrimmage last weekend, the Volleyball team also welcomed Miami of OH to the River City for their inter-squad scrimmage and exhibition.  

Claire Chaussee guards the net.

The Cards swept this one 4-0.

...

I'll wait a moment for that to sink in.

The match was, as mentioned, an exhibition match, so there's nothing really official about it, but "officially", in it's exhibition unofficialness, the Cards won in 3 straight sets.  A quick exchange at the scorers table near the end of the 3rd set, however, and both coaches agreed to go ahead and play a 4th set to give them teams that little extra bit of pre-season experience.

Tori Dilfer serving up some heat.

Position battles have been the point of interest in volleyball and, well, there are no straightforward answers here quite yet.  The "official" (see above re: exhibition) starting lineup included Emily Scott and Anna Stevenson as the middles and Tori Dilfer as setter.  The rest of the line-up was unsurprising, with Melanie McHenry, Aiko Jones, and Claire Chaussee as the hitters, and Alexis Hamilton donning the libero jersey.

Later in the match we would see Piper Roe get some significant time in the middle, Amaya Tillman did make an appearance as a right side hitter, but her time on the court was limited, prompting some speculation that she still may not be 100% on her ankle after she rolled it in the Red & Black Scrimmage.

Jaz Jones of the WBB team being Jaz Jones.

Probably the most interesting development came several rotations into the first set, as Tori Dilfer was set to rotate into the front row, a double-substitution came to the sub-line.  Dilfer headed to the sideline being replaced by a committee throughout the match of Amaya Tillman, Amber Stivrins, and Nena Mbonu.  Also at the sub-line was freshman Shannon Shields coming in to serve, with Aiko Jones heading to the sideline.  Yes, Cardinal volleyball fans, the 6-2 offense is a thing that we will probably see some this season.*

Again, we're in exhibition-land, so we don't have a full stat sheet to work with (and even if we did, it would only cover the first 3 sets).  In those 3, however, McHenry, Jones, and Chaussee each tallied 8 kills.  I also noted, at the end of the 3rd set, that Aiko Jones had 9 blocks listed on the scoreboard.  Anna Stevenson, and Piper Roe contributed some excellent blocking as well, and I'd say this team will do well in blocking stats for the year.

The VolleyCards will get their official season underway Friday against a national powerhouse, 10th ranked, Florida.  That match should start at about 7pm, but there is an earlier match in the session with Dayton competing against Texas A&M.  These matches kick off the official seasons for these teams, as well as the Cardinal Classic Tournament at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.  The Cards will play Texas A&M Saturday at 7pm, and Dayton on Sunday at 1pm.  A quite note on Dayton...they were eliminated by the Cards in the first round of NCAA play in Illinois last fall, so they will be looking for revenge.  Also, don't estimate this flyer team as they were able to knock off 12th ranked Pittsburgh in 5 sets (25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 19-17, a real barn burner of a match) in exhibition play.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour. Paulie, Case and I were in the studio yesterday bringing you the weekly edition.  As you would likely expect, you can catch recap and previews of women's soccer, a recap of the volleyball Red & Black Scrimmate and a preview of the Miami of Ohio exhibition, and a preview of Field Hockey action against the Alumnae and also Miami of Ohio.

Floyd now has his own logo associated with the station and you can follow him on Twitter at @squirrelfloyd 

How long will it be before we see him campus riding one of those pay-per-ride scooters?

Join the fun at:

https://www.facebook.com/WCHQfm/videos/393563844680106/

-- 

JMcA

* Some explanation, if you're not well versed in how volleyball lineups can work as a 6-2 offense is a fairly rare occurrence at the college level.  The crux of this is that Dilfer will act as setter as she rotates across the back row.  When she's set to rotate up to the front row, her rotation location will be taken by a hitter (one of that committee), who will rotate across the front row.

As that hitter is set to rotate into the backrow, they will sub out and Dilfer will return.  In the meantime, halfway around the rotation, Aiko Jones plays her way across the front-line (blocking about every 3rd hit, it seemed) and when she is set to rotate into the backrow, at the same time that Dilfer is about to move to the front, Shannon Shield enters to serve and set from the backrow.  The result of all of this is that the active setter on the floor for the Cards is always in the back row, leaving two pin hitters and middle always in the front row, supercharging the offense and blocking defense for the Cards.

There are trade-offs, however.  This substitution pattern consumes 4 substitutions for each full rotation around the court, and as the number of substitutions in a set of volleyball is limited, this can become an issue.  It also means that the team will have fewer Defensive Specialists on the court throughout a match as the rotational slot that will have a DS sub in across the back-row remains constantly consumed by a setter, rather than only for half the rotation.

So you need hitters that can play defense well, and the Cards do have several in McHenry, Chaussee, and Stivrins.  You need a libero that can cover a lot of court, Alexis Hamilton was almost physically stopped by Director of Ops Sarah Petkovik from chasing one into and through the bench seating.  And lastly, you should have a middle that can serve reasonably well and not be a major liability on defense for that half of a rotation, Piper Roe (despite my jinx of her in the Red & Black) does well in these areas.  This last one is to conserve the number of substitutions that need to be taken.

The 6-2 is a tricky offense to run well, but when you have a team and lineup that can, it can be super effective.

MORE JARED PHOTOS: 

Jared wasn't able to test the water cannon's strength since EMS wasn't present

Both goalkeepers looked good today! 

Saturday Brings More Exhibitions -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

As the fall season continues to ramp up, more exhibitions are on the horizon. Field Hockey will get underway today, and Volleyball will take on their first opponent that isn't themselves. Oddly enough, Women's Soccer will play three regular season games before any other team on campus plays their first sanctioned match. So it goes sometimes.

Field Hockey vs Alumnae

The annual Alumnae Game is on the docket for Trager Stadium today, as the Louisville Field Hockey team looks to knock away the rust. This match will be a good time for Coach Justine Sowry to see what she has in some of her players, especially as she tries to replace some fantastic starters. The primary position battle everyone will be keeping an eye on will be that of the goalie. Hollyn Barr and Sam Minrath will likely both play for each team in order to get a view of both goalies in "equal" situations. Barr comes in as the "heir apparent" to the seat left open by the graduation of Ayeisha McFerran, having impressed in multiple starts last season during McFerran's international duties. However, Minrath has impressed heavily and has received high praise from Coach Sowry. I get the feeling this is a battle that will not be settled particularly soon.

One player that is not in a position battle is Mercedes Pastor. The junior from Argentina was an All-American last year and has been named to the preseason All-ACC first team. Pastor started every game for the Cards last season, scoring five goals and adding three assists. She'll look to improve on those numbers this year and lead the Louisville offense.

Today's event will get underway at 1PM over at Trager. Admission is free. After the Cards get warmed up with an in-house scrimmage today, they'll host Miami (OH) for an exhibition tomorrow at 2PM. Admission to that event is also free.

Volleyball Hosts a Second Scrimmage

Speaking of Miami (OH), I wonder if the field hockey team and volleyball team are taking the same bus. Louisville Volleyball will host its first scrimmage against an outside team this afternoon at 3PM when the Redhawks come in to L&N Federal Credit Union Arena. Louisville has not faced Miami (OH) since 2015, when the Cards were victorious 3-1 against the Redhawks in a season opening tournament hosted by Illinois. Obviously both teams will be quite different this year, with Louisville having changed coaches in that time and almost all players from those teams having graduated or transferred. 

Proceedings in the Arena will get underway at 3PM and admission to this event is also free. As is typical, the UofL clear bag policy is in effect for preseason games, so please plan accordingly.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

It's here. Louisville athletics are back on track, and the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour can finally break down sanctioned games on the air again. Join Paulie, Jeff, and me as we hit the airwaves on WCHQ FM at 11AM to bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's sports. We'll talk about the big win women's soccer had over Ohio State on Thursday, look ahead at Morehead State, and check in with Jeff about what he saw at the Red and Black scrimmage last week. Tune in to WCHQ FM at 100.9FM, wchqfm.com, using the WCHQ App, or on Facebook Live.
 Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Cards Women's Soccer Start Season with Win -- iNTERVIEW WITH "COACH J" -- Louisville WBB -- Weekend Scheduling -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Soccer Starts Season on Right Foot

Photo courtesy of Chris Snyder, father of Delaney Snyder

The official start to the season began last night as Louisville women's soccer traveled to Columbus to take on (THE™) Ohio State for the first official game of the regular season.  Louisville came out on top of the match 2-1.

Ohio State was first to score after a bit of controversy.  The officials got together to discuss a potential offsides on the Buckeyes but ultimately decided that the goal was good.

UofL responded with a ferocious attack that featured a couple good goal opportunities.  Brooklynn Rivers found the back of the net 12 minutes later in the 29th minute.  A throw in made its way to the Cards' leading scorer from last year, who knocked in the equalizer.

The two foes went to the locker room at halftime with an even 1-1 match.

Photo courtesy of Chris Snyder, father of Delaney Snyder

Maisie Whitsett, Louisville's second leading scorer last year, posted the game winner in the 84th minute.  Niamh Nelson set Whitsett up in the box, who had snuck off to the far side of the box.

The Cards dominated the stat sheet, finishing with nine shots on target compared to Ohio State's three.  Ohio State committed 18 fouls while Louisville committed just seven. 

Gabby Kouzelos had an all star game at goalkeeper.  Although the stat sheet credits her with two official saves, the junior disrupted the Ohio State attack all evening after surrendering an early goal. ( Once again, a goal that was originally called back because of offsides but reversed and allowed after an official's huddle).

This is just the second win in nine tries over Ohio State in program history, including the first ever in Columbus.  The only other win was a 2-0 victory in 2007 at Cardinal Park.  Last night's match was the first between the two teams since Ohio State took a 2-1 victory way back in 2008.

Louisville starts the year 1-0-0 and comes home to host Morehead State on Sunday night at 7:30. Follow us here at CARDINAL COUPLE for the best in Louisville Women's Soccer news, scores and recaps of games.



JONNEISHA PINEDA INTERVIEW


Paulie caught up with new Louisville women's basketball assistant coach Jonneisha Pineda yesterday (the players call her Coach J) in her office at "the Koeber" and got this exclusive interview.

What you'll hear in the audio link below is a great discussion on working with the UofL staff, coaches and players, how coach reacted when she got "the call" from Coach Walz to let her know she had the job, her thoughts on Louisville (the city and campus), her role model and her special message to Cardinal women's basketball fans.

We think Cardinal WBB fans will love Coach J's enthusiasm, energy and the knowledge she brings to the Cardinal Women's Basketball program. Huge thanks you's to Coach J for the excellent interview!!

LINK: INTERVIEW WITH UOFL ASST. WBB COACH JONNEISHA PINEDA


(THANKS TO NICK EVANS - LOUISVILLE WBB S.I.D. FOR ARRANGING OUR CHAT AND SERVING AS PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE ABOVE PICTURE.) 

Weekend Scheduling

Field hockey will host their annual alumnae game at 1:00 Saturday at Trager Stadium.  After listening to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour head on down to campus to enjoy the free admission as the current Cards take on the former Cards.

Following the conclusion of field hockey just walk across the street to L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.  Volleyball will face Miami (OH) in an exhibition at 3:00.  The UofL website notes that this is free but the clear bag policy will be in effect.

Sunday will feature more Floyd Street fun.  Field hockey will have another exhibition.  This time they'll try their luck against Miami (OH) at 2:00.  Once again, free admission.

At 7:30, women's soccer will open their home slate of seven straight home matches with a game against Morehead State.

The Cards beat the Eagles in an exhibition 4-0 last year. Beautiful Lynn Stadium is the place to catch the 1-0 Cards.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared

INTERVIEW WITH WOMEN'S GOLF WHITNEY WADE YOUNG AND LAUREN HARTLAGE -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL WOMEN'S GOLF 

I had the great opportunity yesterday morning to have an exclusive interview with both Louisville women's golf head coach Whitney Wade Young and senior student-athlete Lauren Hartlage at the new facilities for Louisville Golf on South Floyd Street. The building is rapidly progressing and features indoor practice facilities and plenty of office space.



Louisville women's golf has both a fall and spring season and the Cards are preparing for their first event of the year on Sept 9-10 at the Minnesota Invitational.  Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, Minnesota hosts the annual event. Woodbury is located in southeastern Minnesota, not far from Wisconsin. 

The Cards started the 2018-19 season in this Invitational and finished 6th out of 15 teams, playing against national powerhouse programs San Jose St., East Carolina, Virginia Tech and Kentucky. 

Below is the audio link to our delightful discourse. We covered a lot of topics, including Whitney becoming the head coach, Lauren's spectacular summer, the addition of new assistant coach Dori Carter, the facilities, tips for beginning golfers and the returning team -- which loses only one player from last year (Olivia Cason) to graduation and adds two freshmen. 

LINK:  INTERVIEW WITH WHITNEY WADE YOUNG AND LAUREN HARTLAGE

With a veteran roster, one of the best in DI women's golfers returning in Hartlage and excellent leadership from the coaching staff, I predict great things ahead for the 2019-20 "chip and putt" Cards -- including a return to the NCAA Tournament and a impressive finish in the ACC Tournament. 

Be sure to catch the Friday Cardinal Couple, when we offer another "two-for-one"....Jared Anderson's column and our Cardinal Couple exclusive interview with new assistant women's basketball coach "J.P." -- Jonneshia Pineda  

( A SPECIAL THANKS TO WOMEN'S GOLF S.I.D. BRIAN ALDEN FOR SETTING UP THE MEETING AND TO WHITNEY AND LAUREN FOR A GREAT INTERVIEW !)  


paulie
xxxxx