DeBeer Honored, Pro Sports on the Horizon -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Anna DeBeer Picks Up POTY Award

Louisville Volleyball has been able to pick up top local talent for a long time. Though the relationship between the coaching staff and the local scene may have changed a bit when Anne Kordes left the head coaching position, Dani Busboom-Kelly and her staff have shown the ability to continue to keep the top players at home. We've known for awhile that Anna DeBeer, out of Assumption, would be donning the red and black, but earlier this week she was named the top player in the state. After being named the Gatorade POTY, Ms. Volleyball, and a member of two first team All-American teams, additional honors shouldn't be much of a surprise. However, MaxPreps award DeBeer the Athlete of the Year Award, recognizing her as the top women's athlete in the state in all sports. DeBeer, an outside hitter, will join the Cards in the fall.

Pro Leagues Plan for 2020 Season

While Major League Baseball still has not ironed out the details of finally starting what will definitely be a shortened 2020 season (I should probably figure out how that affects my fantasy team), other leagues have been hard at work setting up the remainder, or entirety, of their coronavirus-affected seasons. The NBA has probably grabbed the most headlines, as they'll be wrapping up their season by inviting 22 of the 30 teams to Florida for a mini-tournament to determine playoff seeding and then a full playoff. 

Also in the news has been MLS, as teams are allowed to return to their practice facilities for voluntary workouts. The reason this caught people's attention is that not a single player from FC Cincinnati bothered to show up. On a related note, the USL Championship Board of Governors voted in favor of returning to play with an anticipated starting date of July 11th. That means that Louisville City FC will finally be able to open Lynn Family Stadium, albeit without any fans.

The two leagues we're most interested in, though, are leagues that have shortened summer seasons to begin with and are trying to figure out how to get some kind of organized play in this year. The NWSL announced their plan last week. They'll be hosting a 25 game tournament in Utah starting on June 27th. The season regularly runs from April to October, so this will be a significantly reduce season. Louisville's Gaby Vincent will get to be a part of the home team during the tournament, as she remains with the Utah Royals. 

The WNBA has not completely sorted out their season, but the details are becoming clearer. The W is looking to play a shortened season, 22 games instead of 34, entirely at IMG Academy in Florida. IMG boasts 24 full size courts, so there's plenty of room to go around. The plan is not yet finalized, but the proposed starting date would be July 24th, one week before the NBA's planned start. The players can propose a counteroffer. It sounds like, despite our fears, we may still get to see the trio of Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, and Asia Durr return to the floor at the next level.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Can you believe another week has gone by already? Despite the lack of sports to get us through the days, the news has been full and, in the blink of an eye, the weeks are flying by. Perhaps its the perceived light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway, all of that is to say that it's Saturday, which means it's time for another edition of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast. Jared was available last week so I believe that means he'll be banking this week, but you'll have to tune in for yourself to find out. We'll discuss the return to campus, the planned pro and college seasons, and have ourselves a fun quiz. Tune in to the Cardinal Couple YouTube channel at 11 AM for the live show, or catch the recorded version any time after the show ends at around noon. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-