Volleyball takes huge win over Marquette

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Volleyball beats previously undefeated Marquette in four games.

-Shine, Fellerhoff advance to quarterfinals.

-Swimming finishes fifth in SMU Classic.

Lola's 24 kills lead Cards to road win

The University of Louisville Volleyball team knocked Marquette out of sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST with a convincing 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-19 win over the Golden Eagles in Milwaukee Sunday.

Leading the way for birthday girl Anne Kordes' squad was the irrepressible Lola Arslanbekova with 24 kills. Huge efforts from Emily Juhl (a season high 13 kills) and Caitlin Welch (22 digs) helped the Cards advance to 20-3 and a league leading 9-1 in the BIG EAST. Marquette falls to 18-4 and 8-1 in conference play.

The Cards fell behind early in the first game but battled back to gain a 14-13 advantage against MU. The Golden Eagles zipped off a 8-2 run after that before a rowdy crowd to go up 21-16. Despite scores from Juhl and Kaitlynn James, Marquette prevailed by five in the opener.

In the second game, Louisville broke open a close 11-8 contest with a 9-2 run to double up the Golden Eagles at 20-10. Louisville prevailed with the eight-point victory...Lola getting five kills, Juhl four and Tanya Lukyanenko adding three kills and three blocks.

After the break, the two teams battled closely before Marquette broke open a 13-13 tie with five unanswered points. That necessitated a Kordes timeout, and it worked for the Cards...finishing the match with an 11-1 run to win by four. Juhl's four kills led the Cards.

In the final game, Louisville held a 13-7 lead before Marquette countered with a 7-3 run to climb within two at 16-14. From there on, the teams exchanged mini-runs...Louisville getting a game ending 6-3 finish to take game and match.

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Fellerhoff, Shine reach ITA quarterfinals

Louisville's top two singles players, Rebecca Shine got to the quarterfinals and Julia Fellerhoff reached the semifinals of the ITA Ohio Valley Regional on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, IN. before bowing out.

Shine fell to Brynn Boren of Tennessee 3-6,6-2,6-2 and Fellerhoff lost to #2 seeded Kata Szekely, also from UT, 5-7,7-5, 6-1.

"Julia and Becca had an incredible tournament. Neither one of them had advanced to the quarterfinals before, so it was a huge accomplishment for Louisville Tennis. They keep adding to their resumes as the two best players to play here at Louisville" - Mark Beckham, head women's Tennis coach.

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Louisville women's swimming finishes fifth at SMU

#24 Cards swimming and diving ends of fifth in the highly ranked SMU Classic Saturday night. The Cards finishing with a total of 236 points, which placed them behind USC, UNC, Florida and Texas. Some highlights for Arthur Albiero's squad:

-- Hannah Gadd, winner of 3-meter diving

-- A fifth place finish in the 200-medley relay, from Eszter Povazsay, Lucy Kramer, Tanja Kylliainen and Kelsi Worrell.

-- Kylliainen grabbing third place in the 200-fly.

-- Fifth place in the final event, the 200-free relay for Povazsay, Worrell, Erika Belcher and Hanna Cowley.
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Friday Cardinal Couple -- Revisited

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Oops!


-What we are...


-Happy Birthday Mercedes!


( Written while looking for my shuttlecock & racquet.)


Somehow, the gremlins ate the earlier post we had up here for Friday. Not sure what happened, hope you got a glimpse at it earlier today and we'll try to re-create some of it. 

(Runs into backyard, shaking his fist and screaming at the heavens..."Why? Why? Why? The best stuff I've written since 1989 and you take it from me?" AARRGGHHHH!)


We thought this was a phenomena that only happened to our writer Sandy Walker. Guess we were wrong. 


Maybe the dingo ate it? Link below:


The Dingo ate...


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IF I recall correctly, we were looking at UofL athletes that were competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Lotta swimmers in that group and our #35 Angel McCoughtry on the hardwood. Carlos Almedia and Pedro Oliveria are swimming for Portugal. Joao De Lucca for Spain and Eszter Povansky for Hungary.

Francisco Garcia and Edgar Sosa were trying to get there for the Dominican Republic men's basketball team but the D.R. failed to qualify. The only silver lining in this cloud is that we don't have to watch their coach (John Calipari) on the sidelines. 


Over 5500 hours of the Olympics on NBC and their affiliates. That's the equal of watching 184 episodes of
Seinfeld. 


Do you have a favorite Olympic event? We've got a poll on the left side of the side you can vote on. 

I like the badminton events. Reminds me of when I won the inter-murals singles tournament in college.
I was pretty ferocious with the shuttlecock and racquet. 


(Insert your joke or wise guy comment here)    


Of course, I also like the basketball, track, swimming...well, I like all of it. Except maybe for rifle events. Not a big gun enthusiast. 


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We had previously discussed the state, art and philosophy of recruiting here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Jenny did a bang up job on this Wednesday and we've had some great e-mails about it. Make sure and read her article if you missed it. 

We also had some comments that I went in and deleted later. 


Just for the record: 

CARDINAL COUPLE is a website primarily dedicated to the joy and excitement of women's college sports at the University of Louisville from a fan's perspective. (Most of the time). We understand that some of our readers and fans are passionate about recruiting. We like to know who's a prospect to come to Louisville also.


What we won't tolerate is bashing, bad-mouthing and cynical, snarky comments about the program or possible additions to the program here. Feel free to e-mail those to us...but please keep them out of the comments section. 

We appreciate you reading CARDINAL COUPLE. We're excited about the upcoming fall sports at UofL. Let's do what we can to promote the joy and excitement of womens'  sports at UofL and stay away from the "Debbie Downer, Curtis Critical and Sammy Slammer" type of stuff. 


Remember that coaches, players, recruits and parents read CARDINAL COUPLE. Let's express to them the great things about UofL, the coaches, staff, players and campus. 


L1C4, baby! 


Thanks. 


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Finally, a very happy birthday to high school girls basketball superstar Mercedes Russell! We hope it's a GREAT one for you!


GO CARDS!


(I had Paul McCartney write and sing this song especially for her. OK...I really didn't...but it's a fun, little birthday ditty to get up and boogie to for a couple of minutes. Consider it a mini cardio-vascular workout.)


Stay seated, Asia...we want that hip to heal.


If it's your birthday today...first of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and show your receipt to our CARDINAL COUPLE cashier when leaving to receive a free toothpick!  


The video below was filmed in the KFC YUM! Center last night when word got out it was Mercedes' birthday. 


(OK...that's not true, either..but wouldn't it be fun to have Paul McCartney come to the YUM?) Maybe for a WBB game.


LINK: BIRTHDAY SONG 


Have a wunnerful Friday everyone and a "tip of the hat and wink" to CARDINAL COUPLE reader and my "bestest, little buddy" J.P....glad the surgery went well and you'll be tossing touchdown passes again in no time. 


Be strong, Live strong, Stay Strong.


--your senile, senior columnist and co-owner
Paulie
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Saturday Cardinal Couple

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-E-Po headed to Olympics


-that's our boy...


-Goodbye ESPN, hello Fox? 

Walz campers chasing after Erin Andrews
to the Fox Sports Network. (Photo by Jenny O Bryan)

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE swimmer Eszter Povazsay (whom we will refer to as E-Po for the rest of her time at UofL) has been name to the Hungary Olympic swimming team. 


This is huge. 


Competing in a once every four year worldwide sporting conclave. Going against the very best, with a chance to stand on the platform, have a medal hug around your shoulders and hear your national anthem if you have the gold around your neck. 

Think about that. How would you react? Tears? A big, goofy grin? Or head bowed and fist in the air like the sprinters did in 1968 in Mexico City?


She's one of four Cards from the swimming teams that is going to be in the summer games...Joao De Luca, Carlos Almeida and Pedro Oliveira from the men's team also swimming in London. 


She won the BIG EAST Championship this year in the 100-backstroke. 

How great would it be to see a UofL Cardinal standing on the winners stand? Get 'em  E-Po. Bring the gold back to the Ville. Or Hungary.


Have any UofL athletes ever won a gold medal? If so, who were they an what event was it in? 


Think you know the answer? Leave it in the comments section or e-mail it to us at:


 cardinalcouple@insightbb.com




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If we've told you once, we've told you 1000 times...Brian Hernandez, Jr. is the most underrated, best performing jockey at Churchill Downs over the last several years.


We went to night racing Friday, a scorcher of a late afternoon still at 5:30 p.m. when we arrived. Fortunately, there are areas at Churchill where the air is cold, the seats are comfy and we headed there immediately. With us was Tommy Boy, our Director of Wagering and Nonsense at CARDINAL COUPLE. 

Talking nonsense with Tommy Boy

Churchill Downs had 11 races last night. Brian rode in nine of them. He won three of them and came in second five times. If you had put $2 across the board (win, place and show) on Brian in each race he rode in, your total outlay would have been $54 dollars. Your return on investment would have been $196.


I got a little more heavily invested in him than $6 per race. Thank you, Brian.


Not bad, eh?


Two days to go before the live meet ends. Both post times are 6:30 p.m. 

Dave, Dan, Sonja and Tommy Boy

The "What was I thinking?" award of the meet has to go to jockey Shane Sellers for his performance in the ninth race last night. Ahead by five lengths in the stretch and looking seemingly uncatchable...Sellers decides to go with a right handed whip. The horse responds by crashing thru the temporary rail on the turf course and did not finish the race. 


Wouldn't want to have explained that brilliant strategic
move to the owners and trainer. He gets a "Gibbs slap" to the back of the head from all of us. 


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Erin Andrews has left ESPN. The word is that Fox Sports is after her. 


ESPN, you blew this one. They claim they made " an
aggressive offer" to keep her. They should have offered to rename the network "Erin Sports Predominantly Network". 



Things change. WE realize that. But letting the "face" of sideline reporters get away from you and most likely end up at your rival...well, it's like giving Mickey Mantle an automatic walk so you can pitch to Roger Maris. 


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Eszter Povazsay to swim at World University games

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-UofL sophomore to swim in China

-Love it...

University of Louisville sophomore Eszter Povazsay will get a trip to the 2011 World University games in Shenzhan, China this August...taking part in the swimming events
form August 12-23. 

Known for her skills as a sprinter and backstroke specialist, she was named All-BIG EAST
this past season and helped the Cards to a second place finish in the 200 medley relay.

She is from Dunakeszi, Hungary and swam for the Hungarian National Team in the 2007 and 2009 World Championships and 2008 Summer Olympics.

She is currently the Hungarian National Champion in the 50 and 100 meter backstroke.

Quite a honor for the sophomore, who will also join UofL men's swimming team star Pedro Oliveria in China.



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We like to read Eric Crawford's blog...the Courier-Journal sports columnist comes up with some good ones from time to time. When referring to the recent reprimand of Jeff Walz, he quipped that the University had handled the matter internally...making Walz wash his mouth out with soap...Lifebuoy being the chosen disciplinary tool.

This, of course, from the classic movie A Christmas Story and Ralphie.

We also like the idea CARDINAL COUPLE reader Curt B. came up with. He suggested that Coach spend an afternoon of community service over at the Fairdale Furniture Repair and Renovation Shop.

No word on what the folks at Baylor did to Kim "Monkey" Mulkey...but we wouldn't be surprised if the Lone Star State Waconians told her she couldn't have any slaw or pudding with her barbecue at the coaches' cookout.

It's said to be a penalty worse than death in Texas...

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