Hailey Van Lith -- Caroline Blalock -- Softball -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

VAN LITH NAMED AS A NAISMITH HIGH SCHOOL SEMIFINALIST

While the University of Louisville WBB squad rolls along with a 21-1 record and some significant rankings (#2 in the Top 16 Committee Rankings, #3 RPI, #4 USA Today Rankings and #5 in the AP Poll) a future Cardinal is receiving some pretty huge accolades as well. 

Hailey Van Lith, a Louisville signee, has been named as a 2020 Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Girls Trophy semifinalist. The Wenatchee, WA native, who plays for Cashmere High School, is one of ten players named for this honor. 

Van Lith and her father Corey were recently in Louisville for the Cards game against Team USA , taking a brief break from her senior season at Cashmere, and had to be impressed with the 12,000 + that were in the KFC YUM! Center for thee contest. In my brief chat with her and her dad, she was excited for the game, for her arrival here to play hoops and genuinely sincere and engaging with the fans welcoming her to the "Ville".

She's ranked as the #2 prospect in the nation by Prospects Nation and the top guard by  espnW HoopGurlz. The honors, accolades, awards and recognition the 5-foot-7 superstar has received over the past several years could fill up the rest of today's column and the rest of the week here at CARDINAL COUPLE. 

Just a few highlights from her impressive list: 

-- U19 USA squad
-- FIBA 3x3 World Cup MVP
-- (4) Gold Medals from USA squad competitions
-- Player of the Yer in Washington
-- Made 12 threes in a game
-- Averaged 34.4 points and eight rebounds last year.
-- 52 points in a game

...and the list goes on and on. 

We have to wonder if Corey (her Dad) has any wood-working skills or time to build the cabinets, shelves and trophy cases needed to hold all her achievements ? 

From Mongolia to Main Street Louisville, Van Lith has had a major impact on the world of girls high school basketball, plus women's basketball in general, and we wait with excitement on her arrival to our fair city to begin her student-athlete time.  

For now, it's hitting the books, working with her Cashmere teammates and striving to win games, one at a time, to win the Washington Class 1-A State championship. Cashmere is 17-0 this season, so far, and ranked #2 in the state. 

"HVL" does it oh, so, well and soon she'll be wearing the Cardinal "L".


LACROSSE'S BLALOCK NAMED PRESEASON ALL-ACC

As Louisville Lacrosse prepares for their 2020 opener in Cincinnati on Sunday, they received the great news that Caroline Blalock (one of the Blalock sisters) has been named preseason All-ACC. The ACC Coaches determine this annual pre-season squad and it's a deserving honor for the Cards junior midfielder. 

Blalock has been a team captain for Louisville all three years she's been here. Last year, she was named an Inside Lacrosse preseason All-American and finished the season as a member of the ACC All-Academic Team. She was busy on the field, as well, causing 23 turnovers, 30 points and 20 goals. 

During her freshman campaign, she was named all-ACC Second Team and led Louisville with 43 goals, 55 points and 24 caused turnovers. 

Jared and I will be in Cincinnati on Sunday (and we're not trying to walk-on the Bengals or Reds) watching Scott Teeter's team kick off the season and LouLax opens the home portion of their schedule when #10 Denver visits on Saturday, Feb 15th. 

Good luck to the Cards, Caroline and the squad against the Bearcats !! 



SOFTBALL SWINGS INTO ACTION TOMORROW



Louisville Softball heads to Clearwater, FL and begins their 2020 campaign in the NFCA Leadoff Classic Friday with a noon game against #21 ranked Mississippi. It's a busy three days ahead for the Cards, as these type of tournaments usually are, with five games in three days. 

Louisville will also face Baylor Thursday at 2:30 p.m. On Friday the Cards have another double-header, starting with Texas St and ending with Mississippi St. Sunday action has the "hit and pitch" Cards against Missouri. 

The first two games will be shown on You Tube and we'll keep you updated on further coverage as we learn it, for Saturday and Sunday. 

Some really good teams await the Cards, including three opponents from the SEC, and a early test for a team that returns five starters and pitcher Taylor Roby. Celene Funke will lead the Cards outfield contingent and short-stop Caitlin Ferguson will help protect the left-side of the diamond. 

Wishing I could be down "in the clear-water" for this one, especially since our Louisville forecast for the next several days is winter weather. My application for "senior-citizen honorary bat-boy" is still "pending further review, however...

Hit 'em where they ain't and send the foe back to the dugout unsuccessful, Softball Cards !! 


LOUISVILLE STUDENT-ATHLETE TALENT NIGHT

Your "hosts with the most" Jaz and Steven

Our roving photographer Jared Anderson popped in on UofL Talent night last night and sent us some pictures of the event. Co-emcees Jazmine Jones and Steven Enoch were part of the incredible talent production that the Cards student-athletes displayed. 

From what we've heard, softball's Jenna Servi has some unbelievable dance moves, the next big thing in duets is the duo of Nyah Green and Norika Konno, who did a Japanese-English duet and JJ and Steve will be hosting "America's Got Talent"  after they graduate.

Trying to top Shakira and J-Lo ??  

"Q and A" with Louisville Soccer student-athletes.

Hopefully they can move like that on the diamond !




Have a wonderful Wednesday, I'll be heading down to Floyd Street to hear the weekly "Words from Walz" later today and we'll have them for you in Thursday's article.

-paulie
xxxxx