Volleyball and Softball - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Volleyball and Softball Today

What's this?  Fall and Spring sports playing at the same time?  Dogs and cats living together?  Is it the apocalypse.

No, of course it's just exhibition play or Softball, but that doesn't make a trip out to Ulmer Stadium any less of a joy.

Let's start things off with yesterday's play.

Soccer Loses to Notre Dame

It was a pretty quick demonstration of how the game was going to go, less than three minutes into the game and 10th ranked Notre Dame opened up the scoring with a open break that gave Louisville goalkeeper Erynn Floyd basically no chance of a save.  The opening score was the only goal in the first half of the overall 3-0 affair.

Despite the missed first save, Floyd was a stalwart in goal, with eight total in the game, including a back-to-back pair in the 38th minute where Notre Dame was able to take a shot off the rebound of the first save, only to be stopped by Floyd again.

The Irish opened the scoring in the second half with a deflection of the post and shot off the rebound.

The last score of the game came off of a penalty kick in the 78th minute.

It doesn't get easier for the Cards, though they do return home to Lynn Stadium, their guest is 2nd ranked Florida State.

Volleyball

To today's action, then.  Volleyball is still on their road trip.  After the trip up to South Bend to beat Notre Dame three quick sets, they came back to the 'Ville, refreshed and repacked to head down North Carolina way to pay a visit to James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum and play NC State.

A quick perusal of the Wolfpack's schedule doesn't show us much in the way of signature wins or losses.  They did also sweep Notre Dame Friday and lost in four to Georgia Tech.  Neither are surprises, but do kind of fit NC State into the middle range of teams.  It's a bit early to judge much based on ACC standings with most teams having only played three conference matches so far, but NC State, at 2-1 in conference (a sweep of Clemson being the third match) puts them in a three way tie for fifth place behind undefeated Louisville, Pitt, Georgia Tech, and Florida State.

The out of conference loss for the Wolfpack is to Utah, who is typically a pretty good team, but this year?  Eh, I'm not impressed.

The Cards have another weekend, next week, in North Carolina where they'll pick up matches against the other Triangle schools, UNC, and Duke.  After that, they return home for a Friday night match that may very well be one of the premier matches across Volleyball this season, when Pitt comes to visit the KFC Yum! Center.

This NC State match will be served up at 4pm and it will be on the linear ACC Network.  Of course, streaming is an option as well.

Softball

Fall ball for the Holly Aprile squad today, as EKU treks up I-64 for the visit to play on Don Dobina field (does anyone else think of Bob Dobalina when they hear that name?) today starting at 1pm.

This is, as mentioned, exhibition play for Softball, which means we likely won't get much of a recap, or stats, or video, or much of anything else, really.  That's OK as Cardinal Couple does have plans to get in-person coverage of the event.

With a weather forecast of sunny and 85, it would be a fantastic day to get out and enjoy the ambiance of Ulmer Stadium.  I always find myself myself relaxed and refreshed after a visit.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

[THE STATION MAY BE GONE, BUT THE PODCAST LIVES ON}

A fearsome foursome on the CCRHP yesterday.  Case, Jared, Paulie and myself recounted the week of Soccer, Volleyball, and Field Hockey.  We also looked a bit forward, both for programs at UofL, and more broadly the prospects for professional sports teams in Louisville.

Check it out at:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cardinal-couple/episodes/Top-5-Volleyball-and-Field-Hockey-Squads-e2a02rd

for your weekly dose of Cardinal Couple inanity.

-- JMcA