Zabala Part of the VIBE -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 ALYSSA ZABALA ON THE FLORIDA VIBE IN PSL

The title of today's article is not intended to be some hip '60's slang phrase...like "wow, man ..she is really in the vibe and it's groovy." 

One of the best pitchers in Louisville Softball history, Alyssa Zabala, will take her game to the pro ranks this summer when she takes the circle for the Florida Vibe. The team, located in Bradenton, FL, is part of the Professional Softball League,which is in their first season.

Zabala is one of three pitchers on the roster of 15 that also has two other ACC former players on the roster. 

No details were available that I could find on the salary for the Zabala or any of the ot the players. The league has six teams this season...and the Vibe has Mike Scott as the head coach. Scott was a longtime assistant coach at Winthrop. 

I have seen so many "start up" leagues over the years and seen their various successes and demises. I , for one, never thought Arena Football would reach the successes it has. 

I really hope that the PSL and the other "big league" softball organizations..AUSL, NPF and a few I have probably forgotten about, are great chances for the excellent college players who aren't ready to retire the glove and bat, sure, but they don't reach huge paydays for the athletes and rarely last a decade.    

I still look at what I call the "front running five" the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and NHL. as the one that garner the attention and the athletes. And, four of the five are male dominated. I still have high hopes for the NWSL and Racing Louisville. 

What is your favorite women's professional league and franchise and player? I guess I sill go back to Angel in the WNBA and her time with the Dream. 

Have a great Thursday...and a upcoming 4th of July weekend. 

paylie

Reflections -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 AS THE SOLE WRITER, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK? 

(Still flocking in from around the nation...thank you readers). 

After 20 years of pumping this daily site out, with a host of others. it's back to where I began. By myself, doing solo duty. 

For whatever reason, and there have been a slew of them...I've had over a dozen writers here come and go. I am retired now, I have kidney failure, which means I am hooked up to a dialysis machine three times a week, four hours a time. I no longer attend live events. There are times I have to use a walker or wheelchair to do daily things. At age 70, I read almost daily of friends or acquaintances dying. It used to be attending weddings. Now it's attending funerals 

There has also been a change of the guard down at UofL. The independent writers are not as prevalent as they used to be.  

And if you don't believe it, check it out. Look at Media row or the Press Box . 

I look back to the premise  I began the site on the premise of the joy and excitement of UofL sports. And, back then, in 2006, there were a lot of exciting things going on down on the Belknap Campus. Tom Jurich and Julie Hermann were on campus as VIce President and Director of Athletics (Jurich) and Senior Associate Director of Athletics and senior Women's Administrator (Hermann).  Tom Collen was the head WBB coach (Walz was still a year away). The KFC YUM! Center was four years away. Sandy Pearsall was in her sixth year on campus as softball coach. Karen Ferguson Dayes was in her sixth year as head women's soccer coach. 

But, it always went back to the student-athletes here at Cardinal Couple. And, oh...the friendships I have made and students I have covered in contests and interviewed. 

And, I sometimes wonder if what I churn out here daily means anything to anyone anymore? I get e-mails of encouragement and criticism. I lost my photographer due to administration pressure.  I have been shunned on campus because someone hijacked my now deleted Twitter account and put up some objectionable stuff. It's funny...these days a coach can go into a string of expletives and then go on as nothing happened...but, the unpaid writer gets ostracized for something he didn't even do  

It's like a former UofL women's lacrosse player told me so many years ago. 

"You can get knocked down, slammed around, and bloodied but it just takes that one shining moment to bring you back." 

And, maybe that's why I still do it. It's always been about the students. 

It always will be. 

So..what is your opinion on all this? Feel free to e-mail me at cardinalcouple@twc.com or leave a comment here. I'll keep your responses private. It's like the old Alan Parsons song Games People Play where they ask..."Where do we go from here?"  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLi7Ljcy6n8

I'll be reading ...and thinking. 

paulie  

Volleyball will begin the season with the Red and Black scrimmage -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CARDS VB LOOK TO GO FURTHER THAN SWEET SIXTEEN OF NCAA TOURNAMENT IN THE UPCOMING SEASON. 

Louisville Volleyball goes into the 2026 season with a revamped roster and will begin the upcoming season with their annual Red vs. Black scrimmage on Aug 15th. in the LNFCUA. 

All told, the VolleyCards will have 14 home contests...11 at the LNFCUA and three at the KFC YUM! Center. The annual UK match will be in Lexington this season, on Sept. 20th.

They'll participate in the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee on August 21st and 22nd against Texas A&M and Wisconsin to get the regular season underway....then it's back home to face IU, Dayton and TCU. 

Expected back for the Cards are Kamden Schrand, Addison Makun, Hannah Kenny, Chloe Chicoine, Navellis Cabello, Hannah Sherman, Molly Urban, Payton Petersen, Kalyssa Blackshear and Brooke Bultema  and the Cards will welcome four freshmen to the roster.  

Dan Meske returns as the head coach and has Todd Chamberlain as his associate coach and Parker Mikesch and Jena Otec as assistants. 

A key matchup will be against the Texas Longhorns on Sept 6th in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. 

Chicoine, Petersen and Blackshear were three of the top four kill producers on the squad last season and Cabello led the squad in assists. 

paulie 

Prawl A Tall Guard coming to Louisville -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 DENIYA PRAWL LOOKING FOR A SECOND CHANCE WITH CARDS. 

She was a highly sought after guard out of IMG Academy and an All-American her senior year in high school. Louisville was one of many who were vying for her services, along with South Carolina, Notre Dame, UCLA and Tennessee...but Tennessee ended up winning the recruiting battle for her and she spent her freshman year as a Vol. 

Her numbers were not spectacular...she played in 29 games, with seven starts, averaging 4 points a contest and 2.7  rebounds. An 16-14 season and 8-8 SEC mark barely got the Vols into the NCAA Tournament  and a first round loss to North Carolina State was not what the Vols fans expected from the season. 

Prawl decided to leave the Vols and head north to Louisville.

She figures to be an important cog in the Cards attack in the 2026-27 season. With Roberts, Berry and Randolph all returning for Jeff Walz, Prawl may not be a starter...but will give Walz one of the deepest backcourts in the ACC. You find ways to get good talent on the court. 

We know Walz has tailored this team to perform the three "R"s...rebound, run and react...and Prawl will be a important contributor, from what we can gather., in contributing to the big "S"...scoring

Of course, it's way too early here at the end of Jume to predict how the Cards will do in the upcoming season. Articles and columns I have read indicate that a lot of[people think Louisville will be one of the top teams in the ACC and a Top 10 contender nationwide.  

We'll see how the ball bounces. 

paulie

WTEN Has Four Named To ALL-ACC Academic Team -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 THREE SENIORS, ONE GRADUATE MAKE THE LIST

We probably don't cover Louisville women's tennis enough hear at Cardinal Couple, and...sadly that probably won't change with me being the only cornflake left her in the bowl that is Cardinal Couple,,,but, to use a worn out phrase , I'm paddling as fast as I can. 

Four women's Serve and Return Cards have been named to the All-ACC Academic Team. The ramifications to jo this vaunted list are strict, indeed. A honoree must have a 3.0 academic average fom the previous semester and a 3.9 in the current semester, as well as participating in at least 50% of the squads contests. 

-- Germany Davis -- Political Science -- College Park, GA

-- Berta Miret -- Neuroscience -- Barcelona, Spain 

-- Rebeckka Gaines -- Communications -- Kernersville, S.C / University of New Mexico 

-- Alice Otis -- Marketing -- Mt. Pleasant, S.C. / University of Germany davis Women's tennisDenver

2026 wasn't the best season for the Women's Tennis Cards...they went 10-12, with a 1-12 mark in the ACC. They were eliminated in the firsst round of the ACC Tournament by Virginia Tech. 

Mark Beckham has been the Cards WTEN head coach since 2008. He also played for four years at Louisville , too. 

Women's Soccer to face Nebraska Aug 12th -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 AUG 12th MATCHUP AGAINST LADY HUSKERS AT LYNN

This is Cornhusker. They don't have a logo for a LadyHusker

Louisville women's soccer will get their 2026 campaign underway with a match on the Louisville campus at Lynn against the Nebraska LadyHuskers. 

Nebraska was 8-5-5 last year, with a 3-5-3 mark in Big Ten play.

Nebraska did not play Louisville last year, but did host Southern Indiana in Lincoln and blanked them 6-0. They also played Ohio St. and battled them to a scoreless tie. 

This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools in the regular season in women's soccer, They did take part in a couple of exhibitions in 2006 and 2007. 

Nebraska is coached by John Walker, who is no relation to the popular scotch...that we know of or the answer to a riddle I heard from a boy I knew in grade school. ..."How did the elderly man get to the bathroom? He used a John Walker." 

Walker has been in charge of Husker WSOC for 32 years, arriving at Nebraska in 1994. They were a powerhouse team in the Big 12 conference for years before joining the Big 10 and went to 13 NCAA Tournaments and won nine Big 12 championships. 

Walker is 371-203-62 in his coaching career at Nebraska 

On the other end, Hunter Norton begins his first year at Louisville as head coach, after being an assistant to Karen Ferguson Dayes for five years. 

paulie

Madison Pickens transfers to LSU Softball -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SOPHOMORE ALL-AMERICAN LEAVES CARDS FOR SEC

Isn't it funny what a couple of days can male? 

I sent Madison Pickens a message a couple of days ago.on Instagram. 

"We sure are glad you came to the Ville." 

Her reply, two hours later:

"I'm thankful I am there too" 

Then, yesterday..we get the news that she is leaving Louisville and headed to LSU. 

Somebody slap me with a (fill in your own noun/s)

As the song goes...famously sung by Dinah Washington....

"24 little hours                                                                                                                                 Brought the sun and the flowers                                                                                                   Where there used to be rain" 

Maybe that is the case for LSU, who ended up getting both the twin sisters...Madison and Mackenzie Pickens. Mackenzie played at Ole Miss, Madison, a Louisville Cardinals star for two years. 

One has to figure there was a ton of NIL floating around down in the bayou to pull off a major recruiting coup like that.  The transfer portal strikes again. 

The Cards lose their best player from last year She batted .457 last year at UofL.

OK, no mystery here.The SEC is better than the ACC. And the chance for the sisters to play together.

And, so it goes..in today's wild kingdom of college sports on steroids

paulie

.  

  

WBB announces non-conference schedule --THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 UCONN, TEXAS, UK HIGHLIGHT NON-CONFERENCE WBB SLATE 

Jeff Walz knows the non-conference WBB slate is so important to get his squads ready for the tough, demanding ACC schedule. With the release yesterday of the Cards WBB non- conference slate, Louisville women's basketball will have a fun and challenging start to the season and play some very good competition. 

Louisville will open Nov 2nd...when they play Bellarmine. Next ,on Weds. Nov 4th Stetson comes to town. Today's quiz is....Do you know where Stetson is located, and no credit for answering "on my head". Answer at the end of today's article Then, the Cards travel to Evansville to face Southern Indiana on Nov. 8th. They last faced each other two years ago and the Cards flew past the Screaming Eagles by 25 points. Two days later, they'll bring in Lindenwood, a private university out of St. Charles, MO. 

The interesting Ball St. Cardinals WBB logo. 

Two days after that, Louisville heads to Muncie for the Cardinals vs Cardinals battle against Ball State. Louisville demolished BSU by 31 points last year in the KFC YUM! Center. 

UConn comes to town on Nov 15th. to start a four-game home streak. The Huskies last visited Louisville to play the Cards in 2019 and UofL came away with a nine-point win. Two days later, on Tuesday, Nov 17th., Tennessee State visits 3rd and Main. The Cards then tale a 10 day Thanksgiving Break before returning to home court action against Akron. They'll end the string of home games and end November against East Tennessee State.  

The Cards travel to Texas on Dec 2nd for a huge matchup in Austin, then will return to the Vuille to take on Eastern Kentucky. It'll be the first of three games against in-state schools...followed by a trip to Lexington to battle Kentucky on Weds Dec 9th and then a eight day break before they invite the Norse of Northern Kentucky in on Thursday, Dec.17.   

(Stetson is located in DeLand , FLorida...which is about halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach. )

paulie

Field Hockey Releases Sscedule -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 EIGHT HOME GAMES FOR CARDS FIELD HOCKEY AND SERVING AS HOST FOR THE 2026 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

Louisville Field Hockey has one of the premier field hockey stadiums in the nation and the NCAA realizes that -- they are returning to have the NCAA Championships in Louisville's Trager Stadium again. Now, onto the regular season schedule. 

Bellarmine will start it off with a preseason scrimmage at Trager on Aug. 19th...then UofL will travel to Muncie for another scrimmage against Ball State. The regular season opens with a visit from Miami of Ohio on Friday August 28th and then Indiana on Sunday August 30th. Miami, you may remember...won the MAC conference and made it to the NCAA quarterfinals. 

Louisville will then take to the road for four matches in September. They'll  go to St. Louis and Michigan before heading to Evanston, Illinois to face 2025 and 2026 NCAA Champion Northwestern and Iowa. 

Boston College comes in to kick off ACC play on Sept 18th and then the Cards will also host st. Joseph that Sunday the 20th. Next...it's to the Golden Shores and California for a Friday match and then a visit to UC Davis for a Sunday contest. 

Coming home, the Justine Sowry led squad will have three home matches...versus North Carolina, Stanford and Bellarmine. Following that, a trip to Syracuse and then back home to bring in Pam Bustin and Duke.

The Cards will play their final three games of the regular season on the road, visiting Virginia, Richmond and Wake Forest.  

The ACC Championships will be Nov 3-6 at North Carolina. 

i would imagine Justine Sowry will be holding a press conference soon to detail things and I'll look for it on-line and post it when she does. UofL is still not allowing me to cover such things live from a press bo, media roomx or press row...but... with my kidney failure and dialysis, I doubt I'd go anyway. 

paulie

Cards WBB returns seven, brings in six -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 WALZ WILL HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS TO CONSIDER

For the 2026-27 season, Louisville women's basketball will have a solid returning group and some exciting additions to the team. 

Back are Taj Roberts, Imani Berry, Mac Randolph, Elif Istanbulluoglu, Rebekah Graves, Grace Mbugna, and Reagan Bender. Transfers in are Zam Jones, Carys Baker, Deniya Prawl. Incoming freshmen are Myah Epps, Peanut Cradle and Ayse Melek Demirer.

It's a roster that looks very impressive on paper and one that could be the best in the ACC. 

Notre Dame would probably choose to argue that statement. Ayana Hardy joins them from Louisville. Hannah Hildago is back. Leah Macy joins them from high school in Elizabethtown John Hardin. Plus, they have seven seniors. 

Starters for the Cards look to be Berry, Randolph, Roberts, Istanbulluoglu  and probably Zam Jones. 

The depth is huge. The three freshmen will likely see a lot of court time. so will Carys Baker and Deniya Prawl. And, this does look like a typical Walz squad that is going to pretend it is at a track meet and outrun their foes. 

The question that still baffles me and many others is...how did the program and athletics at UofL get so far in debt? 

paulie

He's Back! -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 YOUR INTREPID OWNER BACK FROM THE SMOKIES

Vacations just never seem long enough. do they?

Sonya and I made our yearly pilgrimage to Gatlinburg to get away from the Ville for a few days. Back at the Sleepy Bear for lodging on the creek and back to the places we like to go in our days of exploration. 

A place we love to spend time is on the Arts and Crafts loop...a small coffee shop called the Gatlinburg Grind. 

Located on Glades Rd, in the artesian loop in the Arts and Crafts Community, they have excellent fresh roasted coffee for purchase by the cup, bag or whole bean. They also have excellent baked goods and an outdoor patio as well as indoor seating for enjoying your beverage. 

They feature daily specials and are open six days a week, closing on Monday.

Sonya and i were able to chat with the owner, pleasant young lady who was busy the entire 45 minutes we were there visiting on Friday morning. A lot of her business is repeat, locals from around the area, and the banter is friendly, jovial and  welcoming. 

They offer 30 flavors of coffee and each serving is freshly ground and brewing at the front counter. we got a Dark Horse dark roast and an Ethiopian Premium roast. Both were delicious. 

They also have a unique menu of other drinks...like hot chocolate, iced tea, lemonade, Red Bull Chai Lattes and cappuccino. The pastries are delicious as well. Hours are usually  8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Make sure and try their assortment of pastries as well. The owner is a personable young woman who also works with one of the local radio stations as a sideline reporter for Gatlinburg-Pittman football...on WSEV (Mix 105.5)

If you would like more information...get in touch with them at gatlinburggrind@gmail.com. Tell 'em Paulie from Cardinal Couple sent you

We'll get back into the sports vibe tomorrow. 

Paulie

Louisville Volleyball releases 2026 schedule -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 A 32 match schedule for VolleyCards

Cardinal Volleyball fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2026 season and UofL has released their full schedule.

The Cards will face 18 teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season an all four of the NCAA Semifinal squads from 2025.

14 of the matches will be played in Louisville...three of them at the KFC YUM! Center and 11 at the on-campus L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.

Aug 15th is the annual Red vs Black season opening scrimmage, then they'll be one of ten squads at the AVCA First Serve Classic in Milwaukee Aug, 21st through Aug. 24th  UofL will face Texas A&M on the 21st and then Wisconsin on the 22nd. Other squads in Milwaukee will  be Kentucky, Texas, Arizona St., SMU. Pittsburgh, Xavier and Marquette.

The Cards come home for three matches after that, at the LNFCU, against IU, Dayton and TCU to close out August. They'll travel to Nashville to play Texas on Sept 6th...then come home to face Missouri on Sept 9th in the KFC YUM! Center. 

A trip to Houston for the Rice Invitational follows...where the Cards will see Rice, Creighton and Northern Iowa.

We'll have much more on the VolleyCards as the season gets closer. It's 59 days away, y'all...before the nets go up and the kills, sets, serves and aces return! 

paulie

Walz addresses media Monday -- CARDINAL COUPLE

SUMMER UPDATE FROM JEFF WALZ

Jeff Walz met with the media on campus Monday with an early summer update on Cards WBB and fielded questions from the media. 

Below is the video on it: 

Walz Speaks

The Cards skipper addressed a lot of subjects in the 15 minute presser...which I wasn't invited to. I couldn't have gone anyway, because I was just getting out of dialysis. The moratorium on notifying me on Cardinals women's sports continues from the sports media moguls and assistant S.I.D's on campus. And, my concern over that is less than 0%. I learned long ago the philosophy of life from Rick Nelson. "You can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself." 

On a side note, I was chatting with a Cardinals fan about states we have visited. I came up with 35 and Washington D.C. What's your tally? Leave it in the comments if you want. I'd like to get to 40 eventually. Potential future stops might be Texas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Connecticut. Invitations to visit can be sent to: cardinalcouple@twc.com

Enjoy.

paulie

Ayse Melek Demirer a recruiting highlight for Cards WBB -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 DEMIRER WILL PROVIDE ADDED HEIGHT DEPTH FOR WBB CARDS

All those trips Jeff Walz has made to Turkey (or Turkiye, if you prefer) are still reaping rewards. 

The addition to Ayse Melek Demirer to the UofL women's basketball roster could have wonderful results for the Cards. Demirer, a 6'5" forward/center did great things for the Turkish Youth FIBA U 16 Eurobasket Division B squad. 

She averaged 15.4 points per game in 2025 and grabbed 17.4 rebounds a contest.  She led all the players in the tournament, where Turkey finished third, in points scored. 

Jeff Walz had the opportunity to help coach her when he was an assistant with the U18 team. According to Walz, she has "great size, reat hands and can run the floor. She is someone who is just scratching the surface of where she is going to get .She is considered one of the top prospects in Turkiye and someone who I think will be able to come over here and have a immediate impact for us."   

She adds height to a roster that returns front line player Elif Istanbulluoglu and adds Carys Baker, who comes in from from Virginia Tech,where she averaged 14.3 ppg and almost seven rebounds a contest.  We discussed yesterday the continued growth and skill of Yevheniia Putra, at 6'4" .  Yes, the Cards lost Isla Juffermans to College of Charleston and Anaya Hardy to Notre Dame but Walz is still stocked up and loaded with talent and Cards fans should enjoy this 2026-27 version of Louisville women's basketball. 

Don't forget Grace Mbugna is also back and her height and continuing improvement will also add to that front line. 

We expect Baker and Istanbulluoglu will get the starts at the "4" and "5" ...but will have a strong list of back ups to make the Cards maybe the strongest front line in the ACC. 

paulie 

Five former WBB Cards in WNBA -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 FIVE EX-CARDS ON WNBA ROSTERS. 

Jeff Walz is well-renown for developing talent to play at the next level. And that is evident in the 2026 WNBA rosters. Five Cards are in "the big show"

We covered Emily Engstler being on the Portland Fire yesterday. Add to the list Myisha Hines-Allen (Indiana Fever), Dana Evans (Las Vegas Aces), Sydney Taylor (Chicago Sky) and Laura Ziegler (Los Angeles Sparks) 

While it's true that three of the five didn't start at Louisville and transferred in to finish their college time..it's a sign that they came to Louisville to face tough competition and learn from the Cardinals coaches in hopes of continuing to play in the WNBA. 

Sydney Taylor spent her first four years of college at UMass. before coming to Louisville for a fifth season. She averaged 10.4 points a game in her only year at Louisville. 

Laura Ziegler spent three years at St. Joseph before transferring to Louisville.. Hailing from Denmark, she averaged 11 points a game in her final season of college basketball as a Cardinals starter .

Looking at the Cards projected 2026-27 roster, it's interesting to note that four players from last year's roster have transferred off the team. Peyton Bradley, Anaya Hardy, Isla Juffermans and Skylar Jones a have departed. Three are transferring in...Carys Baker from Virginia Tech, Zam Jones from NC State and Deniya Prawl from Tennessee are transferring in. and the freshmen are coming on board.

Are any of the upcoming seniors being considered for the WNBA?  As of now, there is only one senior, in Elif Istanbulluoglu. Out of Turkey, you've have to think her chances are good of making a WNBA roster after she graduates. She averaged over 10 points as a junior last year and her experience should make her one of the best players in the ACC this upcoming season. 

We like this "uniform" on Putra

A player I will watch with particular interest is Yevheniia Putra, who will be a sophomore this season...out of the Ukraine. The 21-year-old Putra also has a plethora of international experience with the Ukraine National Team. She put up 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds during the 2025 FIBA Women's Eurobasket, averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in the 2024 FIBA U20 Women's Eurobasket, as well as 14.5 points and 9.2 boards in the 2023 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.

Cards WBB is only four months away. This team looks to be potentially one of the best in Cards WBB history. I'm ready for tipoff, are you? 

paulie

 

Portland Fire an oddity in WNBA -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 10 OUT OF 13 PORTLAND FIRE PLAYERS ARE WHITE. 

In a league where 70% of the players are black..the Portland Fire is different. They have a roster where 77% of their players are white. 

The roster consists of 13 players. Carla Leite, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Bridget Carleton, Teja Oblak, Luisa Geiselsoder, Megan Gustafson, Frieda Buhner, Louisville's Emily Engstler, Karlie Samuelson and Holly Winterburn are the white girls.  Sarah Williams, Nyadiew Puoch and Jordan Harrison the black girls. 

The Fire are 6-8 on the young season and have lost their last four games. They play in the western conference of the WNBA is a city that is 11 to 1 white to black ratio.

They re-joined the WNBA in 2026. On the roster, there are five players from foreign countries.... Germany with two, France, Australia and Slovenia. The colleges represented are Iowa, Iowa State, Alabama, Stanford, UConn, West Virginia, Oregon and Louisville. 

This was a team that folded in 2002, after the Portland Trail Blazers refused to buy the franchise. The original Fire existed from 2000-2002. They have drawn over 19,000 attendees twice this season. You could say the Fire is raging again in Portland...(sorry, bad pun). 

Emily Engstler has become a huge fan favorite in Portland. She leads the WNBA in blocked shots. After three WNBA teams in four years, you had to wonder if her book was about to be closed on being in the WNBA...but she has roared back this season with a ferocity that is so good to see. 

Head coach Alex Samama of the Fire calls her the cornerstone of the team's defensive identity. He praises her identity to block shots, force turnovers and be a vocal leader on the squad. 

This is so good to see for Engstler.  She had begun to develop the tag of a "wanderer". From Syracuse to Louisville in college . Then...from the Indiana Fever to the Minnesota Lynx to the Washington Mystics to Portland this year. 

Let's hope she has found a home at last...with a salary of $277,500 this season, She is only on a one-year contract, however...on a team that has huge earners in Bridget Carleton, Megan Gustafson and Luisa Geiselsoder.  Engstler is only the seventh highest paid player on the squad. 

Someone in Portland needs to wake up and open up the checkbook...right? 

paulie

Can Lacrosse recover from last seasons rough end? -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 IS THE HONEYMOON FINALLY OVER FOR SCOTT TEETER?

Some Louisville lacrosse fans still shake their head in discontent over the unsatisfying end of the 2026 season. They saw a team go from 6-5 to 6-9 and get outscored 32 to 67.

And, two of the four losses were at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. 

Eight years ago, Scott was heralded as the savior of a program that had reached its lowest depths ever. But, in those eight years..he has gone 54-92...a .370 percentage. .370 is great for a softball batting average or three-point shooting. Not so great in coaching. 

So, what's next? Do the cards wait to see if recruiting will finally pay off and the team becomes competitive in the ACC. Or..do they make a move at the top? 

Some of us still remember the horror days of the end of Kellie Young's time at UofL. How we looked at the Canadian Teeter's coming in to save the day and show Louisville Lacrosse a new way.

Some feel that that should give him as long a leash as he wants to skipper the program. 

Others want the Cards to be more competitive in ACC Lacrosse, where Louisville has gone 9-59 under Teeter.  

And, some don't really care at all about Lacrosse on campus. That's the sad aspect. 

In my days of doing on campus interviews, I had some great ones with Scott and some of his players, sometimes with former CC photographer Jared along with me.  I saw a coach that was a family man, a caring coach and a guy that had come to love the Louisville/Southern Indiana area and considered it home. I personally hope that he isn't uphended and replaced. But...fan bases and financial backers can be fickle. Sometimes.  A.D's have to make difficult choices.

A great deal of the problem is that Louisville isn't traditionally recognized as a strong lacrosse base and good regional and national players tend to go elsewhere. The Cards simply don't have the recruiting strength of a North Carolina or Northwestern or Maryland or Navy. And, in Kentucky...only 45 schools offer women's Lacrosse as a varsity sport. 

It'll be interesting to see how this team does this next season. How the attendance fares at the L.L.S. Let's hope it is a return to an over .500 mark or better in season play. 

paulie

Cards women's golf adds Hodgkins -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 AUSSIE TRANSFERS IN FROM NORTHERN ARIZONA

After a 15th place finish in the ACC Women's Golf Tournament, it became abundantly clear the the Chip and Putt Cards could use a little bolstering to their ranks. Head coach Whitney Young went to work and brought in Amy Hodgkins, a rising senior transfer from Northern Arizona and born in Queensland, Australia. 

While with the Lady Lumberjacks (sure...that works...) she was named first team all Big Sky and competed in 11 tournaments her junior year. 

She had a 72.94 stroke average and was second best on the team with three top ten finishes last year. She joins (as far as we still know) Bailey Burkett, Emree Cameron, Millie Cottrell, Veronika Esposito, Madison Moman and Suzie Tran on the Louisville squad  The Cards had one senior, in Thienna Huyhn, graduate. 

paulie

Back where it all began -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

It was a Thursday, Jan 14th., 2010 when I launched Cardinal Couple along with Sonya. I had left another website that Charlie Springer ran because he told me I needed to do that, he simply couldn't run all the stuff i was providing hm with.  So...I talked with two influential UofL Sports administration figures about starting a website about UofL women's sports. They thought it would be a great idea.  Now...with Case resigning, (and make sure and check out his beautiful article that was featured yesterday),..it's back to just me writing. 

Yes,, a lot has changed since that first day. I am retired now.. I'm undergoing dialysis for kidney failure but my cardiologist says my heart is in great shape. After all the twists and turns I have been through on this site, and in my life, that is a minor miracle. I guess I'm still trying to make a little sense of it all. 

The premise and the theme here still remains the same. The joy and excitement of UofL women's sports. No matter how hard some media Nazis try to belittle me, shut me down or quell what I say, I still can write about that excitement. I've met some wonderful coaches  ,players,and staffers over the years. And , I've met some real a$$holes and backstabbers. We had days of radio (the legendary WCHQ) and days of directing the website from a hospital bed. It hasn't been boring, that's for sure. 

It's kinda like the late Jimmy Buffet lyrics:

(Back in the good ol'days...Paige and Daryl)

"Good times and riches and son-of-a bit&^es...I've seen more than I can recall" 

But, they can't take my degree away from me, or the fun I had on campus and the fun I have had watching the athletes in field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball and the other women's sports on campus. The incredible athletes I've met, some who still stay in touch with me. There has also been the back-stabbers and those determined to see me falter and fail. At this point in my life, I wave those naysayers and distractors away with a dismissive swipe of the hand and stay centered on why I started this site.

The joy and excitement of UofL women's sports.

Sonya and I...give it your own caption. 

I will survive. I will get by.  And, I will carry on. And I thank Sonya, Jenny, Paige, Mark, Sandy, Jeff, Jared, Daryl and.Case for sharing parts of the journey with me. The wise council I had in the early days from Charlie, Lori, Julie, Tom and Vince. .The coaches I've enjoyed my conversations with...like Jeff, Scott, Justine, Karen, Holly, Sandy, Sam and Pam...just to name a few.  

Remember Paige? 

Another 16 years ahead of me? I'd like to think so.  I'll be 86 then, if I get there, and maybe I'll be too senile to write daily. But, the great musical group of the 60's...the Grass Roots.... wrote a song called "Live For Today" and it give some wise council. 

"We were never meant to worry, the way that people do. And I don't need to hurry, as long as I'm with you. "  

Because, it's you...the readers that keep me doing what i do. As long as you are still "clicking on and moving your eyeballs" I'll be offering. 

paulie

The End of a Journey -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

A Fond Farewell from Case

I spent a long time looking up great last lines from novels to open this post with to be witty or clever, but in the end, they all ring hollow. They all felt like they'd cheapen it a bit. So, instead, I simply say that this is the end of my time as a writer at Cardinal Couple. 

The title of today's post is a reference to my very first post here at the site, which came nearly ten years ago. It's hard to believe it's been so long, although that may be more due to my rejection of the idea that I could have already graduated college that long ago. I was a different person then, and a different writer. Everyone stuck with me while I shook off the need to write about Louisville's men's teams, but it probably took longer than anyone hoped. I finally got it through my head that Cardinal Couple didn't exist to be another column in the noise about Lamar Jackson or Rick Pitino, and I turned my attention to the true mission: Reporting the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. 

While I learned that lesson, I went through a lot as a person. I got married, moved to Shelbyville, moved back to Louisville, went through three job changes, but Cardinal Couple was always here. That's not to say there weren't changes here, too. I was part of dozens of shows at the old Crescent Hill Radio studio in the basement and dozens more at the new studio location before the station closed down. We did shows on location, and I learned about the rules of simulcasting. When the station closed, we pivoted to a podcast and I learned all kinds of new things in that process. I've seen (if my count is correct), eight other bylines on the site since I started, and I've had the pleasure of creating genuine friendships from the experience. 

When I wrote that first post back then, I never really imagined I'd still be doing it all this time later. That joy and excitement kept me going, and I continued to grow my love for the teams we cover here. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Life has a funny way of creeping up on you, and as my responsibilities have grown inside these pages, they've grown many times over outside them. It's time to close this chapter of my story, but I can assure you I'll never forget it. 

I was a passive follower of Louisville women's athletics when I started, primarily engaged as an avid sports fan while a student at the University. That has changed a lot over the last ten years, and these days I find I'm far more invested in the success of the women's soccer or softball teams at UofL than either of their male counterparts. That won't change now that my time writing is done. I'll still be tuned into the goings-on up and down Floyd Street next season and the years to come, and you'll likely still find me at Lynn when my schedule allows. 

I'll always be grateful for my time at Cardinal Couple, to Paulie for giving me a chance to keep writing, and to the support the Cardinal Couple community has always shown. 

As always, Go Cards!

Case

2026 Cards Field Hockey needs to improve over 2025 ACC record --MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 2-7 Against Conference Foes Unacceptable

(Wanna guess what this is? Answer at end of today's column)

OK, everyone knew that ACC Field Hockey wasn't going to be the easy, breeze ride that Louisville had in other conferences. But being tied for seventh place in a nine-team conference certainly isn't what the UofL Cardinals Field Hockey fans expected or were particularly happy with. I can't imagine the student-athletes or coaches were pleased...either. 

The squad needs to show show marked improvement in the 2026 season in the ACC and beat a few more squads than California and Syracuse. Maybe one thing in Louisville's favor is the developing underclasses on the roster that are returning. 

Out of the 23 players on last year's roster, only four graduated. Six will be sophomores this year, seven juniors and six seniors. We know of only one transfer out...defender Luciana Carpenter, who is headed to Richmond as a grad transfer. 

The ACC is probably the strongest field hockey league in DI and UNC is always a powerhouse. 

Cards depended highly on Rylie

The Cards need to find scorers. They only scored over five goals four times in 2025 and gave up over five goals only once. With an 8-10 record overall, they lost six games by one goal. 

Rylie Wollerton had 11 goals in 18 games for the Cards, but was a senior who played in 74 games for the Cards in her time at UofL.  Who steps up to replace her could be the key question for UofL and Sowry. 

We should get a schedule release soon and a roster update as well. 

(Oh...and the image at the top of today's column? Why, it's a water sprinkler on the Cards Field Hockey surface....)

paulie

Did You Know? -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE OFFERS EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY DEGREES. 

I had the chance recently to catch up with a friend who I knew at UofL and in the course of our discussion we started talking about her grandson, who was graduating from UofL also (like she did)...but with a degree in Exercise Physiology. I was not aware of the field of study, so she explained it to me. Exercise Physiology is also called exercise science,  kinesiology, or human movement and UofL is one of the leaders in the nation in the study.  

It is basically an intense look at the how we understand and optimize the movement and effectiveness of the human body. At UofL is can be broken down into three different subcategories. 

-- Allied Health Therapies. Aimed toward those who are pursing physical therapy or medicinal fields and careers. 

-- Human Performance. Geared to those who want to be in strength and conditioning, sport science or personal training. 

-- Physical education and Health -- Deigned for those who want to go on and be physical education teachers..like in schools and such. 

I wish this had been around when I was an undergrad, but it didn't become a degree option until around 2000. Human Movement developed out of kinesiology and beside University of Louisville...other major universities who offer the degree include Texas A&M, Michigan, Northeastern and Maryland. 

 If you are a prospective or current student looking for exact syllabi, office hours, or specific course registrations, you can view the complete faculty directory on the UofL Health and Sport Sciences Faculty Page.

Louisville Draws Texas in ACC/SEC Challenge -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards to Face Longhorns in Texas

The ACC/SEC Challenge matchups were announced for men's and women's basketball yesterday, and both teams drew the same opponent: the Texas Longhorns. The women's ACC/SEC Challenge officially began in 2023, and Louisville has played on the road once. The Cards won that game against Ole Miss in Oxford in the 23-24 season. 

Louisville will head to Austin on December 2nd. The Cards last faced the Longhorns in the same building during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where Louisville pulled off the upset against the home team. That was the second time the Cards had beaten Texas in the same season, having also won in November in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Those are the only two wins Louisville has over Texas all-time, though they've only played two other times. 

Last year's iteration of the Longhorns won the SEC Championship on their way to a second straight Final Four appearance. They haven't lost a game in the Moody Center in the last two seasons as part of a 44-game home winning streak. Things change season-to-season, though, especially in this day and age, but Louisville will still likely face an extremely tough opponent. The Cards, to their credit, return all five starters from last season. 

Louisville will get SEC opponents on back-to-back Wednesdays to open December, as they'll face Kentucky on December 9th. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

TEXAS GETS THE REPEAT --FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 4-1 WIN GIVE LONGHORNS THE WCWS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE OVER RED RAIDERS.

Make it two years in a row. The Texas Longhorns softball gals have won the Women's College World Series for the second year in a row. Back-to-back championships over Texas Tech.

A lot of players contributed to the win for Texas..which is what it takes to win a championship. Once again, solid pitching from the Longhorns. Two runs in the fifth and two runs in the top of the seventh got it done for them at the plate...and an outstanding efforts in the circle from Citaly Gutierrez, Hannah Wells and Teagan Kavan. 

Texas brings the title back to the SEC. Being as they joined the conference in the summer of 2024, the Longhorns have proved they are the queens of softball in the SEC. It was Oklahoma, now in the SEC also, who won the title in 2021,22,23 and 2024. The tournament was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID. 

Three hits in seven innings for the Texas Tech squad. Not a lot to try and win a game with. 

"This one is sweet. They've worked the tails off the whole time and we had people step up when we needed them to."  said Mike White, UT head coach after the contest. 

Maybe none more than Teagan Kavan. After getting the complete game win on Wednesday, she had five strike outs against the six batters she faced on Thursday to preserve the lead. 

So, another softball season ends. And, it appears that the stronghold of softball in the USA is still...deep in the heart of Texas. 

paulie

EYES ON TEXAS IN SOFTBALL COLLEGE WORLD SERIES -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 TEXAS, TEXAS TECH PLAY FOR IT ALL IN OKLAHOMA CITY. 

The SEC vs the Big 12. Austin vs Lubbock. Horns vs Red Raiders. No 1 in the nation (Texas) against the 11th ranked Texas Tech squad. Yes, it's College Softball World Series time. 

Teagan

In Game One, on Wednesday night, it was TTX who got off to the early lead with a home run...but Texas responded in the bottom of the first with five runs. Texas is a squad who has won close to 90 straight games when they have a four run lead. Jumping out 5-1 they eventually stretched it out to 7-3 for clear bragging rights about winning Game 1 of the series

The championship could go three games, if Texas Tech comes back to win game two. Otherwise, it'll end in two if the Longhorns win game two. 

 Teagan Kavan hurled a three-hitter for the Horns ,going the distance.

Hiya,  cutie...Teagan out of uniform

ESPN's coverage was functional and not overplayed...a rarity in nationwide broadcasts of major sporting events. Of course, they trotted out Holly Rowe for sidelines interviews in this one. I still remember when they brought her in for a UofL game vs Kentucky in the KFC YUM! Center and she showed up in a UK blue dress. And she couldn't figure out why the fans were booing her. Beth Mowins is the big game announcer and pretty Jessica Mendoza and Michele Smith round out the crew. 

The two squads go back at it tonight. 

Cherry Makes Debut -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Karsyn Cherry Appears for Angel City FC

The University of Louisville can add another alumni to the list of players that have stepped onto the pitch for an NWSL squad. While I'm not able to find a full list of players, I believe that UofL's former players to appear at the next level in the US is quite limited. The league started in 2013, and to the best of my knowledge, Emina Ekic is the only former Cardinal to have checked into a game for an NWSL team until this past weekend. 

Karsyn Cherry made her debut for Angel City on Sunday, and she'll be looking for more opportunities moving forward. While her opener was short (just one minute) Cherry was quite productive. She had three touches and was successful on her two attempted passes. She also won a corner in the opposing box, though her attempt to score the game-tying goal was off target. Angel City fell to NC Courage 2-1. Cherry signed with Angel City in January as a free agent, as the NWSL eliminated the rookie draft this past season. The former Card is listed as one of just seven defenders on the roster, so it would seem likely that she'll get more chances to see the pitch soon. 

Erynn Floyd will hope to make her debut this season as well. Louisville's former goalkeeper remains in town as a reserve with Racing Louisville. Racing's primary goalkeeper went out with an injury a couple of games ago, so Floyd may be closer to seeing the field than anticipated. It's still a crowded keeper room, though, so it will be tough. 

New head coach Hunter Norton will be hoping to continue the development of the UofL-to-Pro pipeline and build up the Cardinal program as a destination for players looking to take the next step. Norton's first season at the helm begins in a little over two months. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case