Volleyball Sweeps; FH Falls -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Luper Hits Milestone as Louisville Beats Wake

Charitie Luper picked up her 1,000th career kill yesterday as she helped lead the Cards to a decently simple sweep of Wake Forest. Louisville's win moved them to 15-2 and they remain undefeated in conference play. Luper had nine kills, which was good for second on the team and third in the match. Louisville will be back in action tomorrow in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena against NC State. 

The Cards got off to a bit of a slow start in the first set, with Wake Forest taking an early 7-3 lead. Louisville would fight back to tie the match at nine before taking their first lead at 10-9. The Cards wouldn't give up that lead for the remainder of the set, slowly adding points to the deficit until they got hung up at 19. Wake Forest won four straight to make the score 19-18, but Louisville won six of the final eight points to put the set away with a 25-20 win.

The second saw a similar difficulty separating, though the Cards didn't have to dig themselves out of an early hole. The two teams traded points early before Louisville started to distance themselves a bit more after both teams reached 10. Again, Louisville hit a slight wall at around the 20 point mark and Wake was able to cut into the lead a bit. Just like the first set, though, Louisville buckled down over the final stretch and won the set 25-19. 

After the halftime break, Louisville was no longer interested in playing games with their food. The Cards won the first four points and stretched that advantage to a 10-2 lead. The Demon Deacons managed a small run at that point to bring the score to within 11-6, but they would get no closer. Louisville ran away with the deciding set, taking the third 25-12. The Cards hit .481 in that final set, compared to just .143 for the Deacs. 

Overall, Louisville dominated on the hitting side with a .349 percentage. Wake hit just .122 over the course of the match, as their .031 first set dragged down their average. Louisville committed just 11 errors and they had only one in the third set. Louisville also led the way in both aces and blocks. The Cards had 10 blocks, with five of these being solo. Louisville also won the battle at the serving line outright, as they had three aces and six serving errors compared to Wake's two and eleven. 

Luper's nine kills came on .333 hitting and she added two solo blocks, a block assist, and seven digs. Anna DeBeer led Louisville with 11 kills on .391 hitting while also picking up a block assist, two aces, and five digs. Reese Robins hit .462 with six kills and no errors. 

Louisville will take on NC State tomorrow at 1PM. The Wolfpack are 10-5 this season and 5-2 in conference. Their two losses came on the Pacific coast, where they lost to Cal and Stanford by a combined score of 6-1. Surprisingly, the sweep came at the hands of Cal. State's wins have come against the Virginias, Duke, UNC, and Notre Dame, so it's hard to put your finger on this team. Louisville shouldn't have any major issues getting by, but it's best to give everyone your best shot. The match will be carried on ACC Network Extra.

Senior Day Goes South for Field Hockey

Justine Sowry let her disappointment be known after yesterday's 3-0 loss, lamenting Louisville's inability to win 50/50 balls and expressing frustration with a lack of fundamentals. The Cards were playing their final game of the season at Trager Stadium and bringing in a familiar foe in Duke. At the end of the day, Duke walked out with a victory, and Louisville's slide continued. 

The Cards played the Blue Devils close for the first quarter, but it was early in the second that things came unglued. To add insult to injury, it was an exciting former Cardinal, Charlie van Oirschot, that kicked off the scoring for Duke. The Blue Devils added to their advantage seven minutes later to make it 2-0 and it would stay that way until shortly into the fourth when they scored an insurance goal on a penalty corner.

Louisville was outshot 16-6 with a disadvantage of 10-2 in shots on target. Of course, it was easy for Duke to get so many more shots as they held an 8-2 advantage in penalty corners. Louisville continued to struggle in the midfield, finding themselves on the back foot throughout the game. 

Louisville honored seniors Filippa Niebuhr and Caroline Pusey after the game, and we have appreciated all those two have done during their time with the Cards. Louisville has two games remaining in the regular season, and we'll see what happens after that. The Cards hit the road to take on Cal and UC Davis next weekend to close out the year. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll have three on the horn again with a noon start for football occupying Daryl and Jared. Just like the last few weeks, we've got excitement in volleyball and not quite as much joy in soccer and field hockey. We'll do all we can to keep it positive, though, as we work to uphold the mission of Cardinal Couple. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Smart Cards, Spring Schedule, and Rankings -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Fall to 20th in AP Poll

Louisville women's basketball stayed in the top-25 this week after Sunday's loss but dropped to 20th in the latest AP poll. The Cards slipped to the lowest of the ranked ACC teams, a quintet that now includes two top-ten teams. NC State is sixth, while the league-leading Hokies moved up to eighth. The remaining trio is locked in close proximity in the rankings, just as they are in the ACC standings. Syracuse, alone in second in the ACC with a half-game advantage on NC State, moves up to 17th. Notre Dame, fighting UNC and Florida State with one more loss in the ACC than Louisville, sits one spot ahead of the Cards at 19th in the latest poll. 

Officially, Louisville has just one ranked game remaining: the matchup with Notre Dame in the Joyce Center on March 3rd. As we saw with the game against BC, though, their road game against Georgia Tech will likely be no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Virginia has shown some scrap on the road, winning three of their four conference games away from home. Florida State is sure to give the Cards a fight on Leap Day, as always. 

Volleyball Announces Spring Match Schedule

Louisville volleyball will play four matches this spring, all with plenty of local buzz. The Cards will take on Dayton, Purdue, UK, and Tennessee over a span just longer than a month. The Flyers and Volunteers will bookend the four-match set in the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena while the Boilermakers and Wildcats play hosts. This season's spring matches will be ticketed. Season ticket holders will get first-right-of-refusal on the matches against Dayton and Tennessee in a window from February 26th to 28th before the tickets open to the public. Fans can get tickets to the March 8th match against Dayton starting on March 1st, and the sale will open on April 5th for the Tennessee match on April 13th. Louisville will face Purdue on March 29th and UK on April 5th.

Five Cardinals Named NFHCA Scholars of Distinction

Louisville field hockey had five players earn the NFHCA's Scholar of Distinction award this season. The Scholar of Distinction requires players to maintain a 3.9 GPA during the semester of play. This year's honorees were Aimee Plumb, Minna Tremonti, Filippa Niebuhr, Tatum Kroon, and Lara Niebler. Plumb and Tremonti have earned the award in four straight seasons, while Niebuhr earned her third this year. Sophomore Kroon and Tatum, a freshman, both picked up their first Scholar of Distinction. These five are part of Louisville's 22 players named to the D1 National Academic Squad.

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

FH Clinches ACC Title -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Hold on to Beat Cuse 2-1

Louisville entered yesterday afternoon's match with a share of the ACC regular season title in hand, but the number one seed in the ACC tournament--and the bye that comes with it--was still up for grabs. As the last home match of the regular season, yesterday marked Louisville's Senior Day. The Cards honored Alli Bitting, Erica Cooper, Mackenzie Karl, Sam Minrath, Camryn Pichea, and Katie Schneider. Outside of Minrath, every other senior earned a start. In a big game for the team and the players, the Cards responded with a big win.

The top-ten matchup was expected to be a tough one, as Syracuse was nearly undefeated in the ACC just like Louisville, though they dropped their last match against Virginia. As expected, it delivered with a close match in the end. The two teams hounded each other offensively, with both registering double-digit shots. Louisville turned fifteen shots into nine on target, while the Orange put six of eleven toward goal. Both goalies were up to the task as well, as they combined for 12 saves. Though Coach Justine Sowry lamented her defense sagging a bit in the second half, the Cards were stout when it mattered, keeping Syracuse out of goal on all five of their corner attempts in the first half and not allowing them to earn any in the second half.

Of those five corners Syracuse earned, four came in the first quarter. In fact, all four came in a row. Just under four minutes in, the Orange worked their way into the circle and fired a shot toward the cage that was blocked by a defender. The block gave Syracuse a corner, and the sequence began. Their first corner came to nothing, though it was put out for another opportunity. The second resulted in a shot, and Mila de Kuijer was up to her first test. The ball wasn't cleared, however, and another corner was given. Third time wasn't the charm, as again it came to nothing but another corner. On the fourth opportunity, Louisville again prevented a shot, this time finally clearing the ball to end the threat. To recap, Syracuse had four corners in 30 seconds and turned them into one shot, which was saved. Bravo to the Cards.

After that, it was Louisville's turn. A couple of minutes later, Charlie van Oirschot found herself with an opportunity on goal and fired a shot that was saved. She'd recover the ball and get another chance, but that shot went wide. Shortly after that sequence, Sowry went to a round of offensive substitutions, and they paid off. Nine minutes into the quarter, five minutes after Syracuse's barrage, Louisville found themselves in position to run the offense. That opportunity resulted in Aimee Plumb finding Filippa Niebuhr in the circle. Niebuhr fired a shot to the right side, and the Cards led 1-0. Syracuse would grab two more shots in the first quarter, but neither were on frame, and Louisville took their lead into the quarter break.

In the second quarter, it was the Cards that came out firing, and it looked as though they may be able to extend their advantage. Mattie Tabor put the first shot of the quarter towards goal just 40 seconds in, but the shot was wide. A couple of minutes later, Louisville started a sequence similar to the one Cuse had in the first quarter. Tabor again got a shot off in open play, and this one was one target but saved. The save resulted in a corner, which saw Emilia Kaczmarczyk have her shot blocked. For the second corner, Aimee Plumb turned the ball over to Alli Bitting to play in. Bitting returned the favor by sending it back to Plumb, who fired a shot on goal, only to have it saved. Bitting recovered the rebound, but her second effort was wide of the cage. After a pair of traded green cards, Syracuse got another chance with a pair of shots, one coming from a corner, but de Kuijer responded with a pair of saves to keep the score line at 1-0 as the teams hit the locker room.

As we have often seen with this team, they come out of the halftime break with intensity. Yesterday was no different, as Louisville found themselves in attacking position just a couple of minutes into the half. After earning a corner, Karl had her shot saved, but another corner was awarded. This time, it was Kouijzer who took the reception, but she passed it instead of firing a first time shot. This proved quite fruitful, as Erica Cooper fired a shot towards goal, and the Syracuse defender who tried to block it away succeeded only in deflecting it past the goalie. Cards led 2-0.

It would be nice to say that the Cards coasted off into the sunset to collect their ACC trophy after that, but then I would be lying. With five minutes left in the quarter, Syracuse worked their offense forward to put a shot on target. This one snuck past de Kuijer, but a defender's stick managed to find the path and earn a defensive save. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived, as the rebound went right back to Syracuse, who knocked it into the cage. 2-1 Cards. On the sequence, Bitting earned a yellow card, giving Syracuse a player advantage and a bit of momentum. They used that momentum to work out another shot a couple of minutes later, but de Kuijer was back on form to pick up the save. A Syracuse yellow card evened the field once more and the score remained as the quarter ended.

Louisville opened the fourth quarter with a flurry of activity. After a couple of minutes to get their feet under them, the Cards went on the attack. Over a minute and change, Louisville grabbed five total shots and two corners, resulting in three saves and a block. Ultimately, the fifth shot was wide and the threat was ended, but it was clear that Louisville was not satisfied with the one-goal lead. Two minutes later, it appeared they would get another opportunity to widen the gap when Syracuse saw a yellow card, but Louisville could do nothing with the advantage as Minna Tremonti got the same treatment 18 seconds later. Syracuse would go on to get one more shot in the match, but it was blocked. Unlike UNC, Syracuse did not gamble with an early goalie pull. They would employ the tactic, but they did it with four minutes left. It would prove to be too late, as the Orange could not even put up a shot with the extra attacker. 

Here's what Sowry, Bitting, and Cooper had to say after the win:

Justine Sowry Postgame Interview

Alli Bitting Postgame Interview

Erica Cooper Postgame Interview

Louisville's 2-1 victory gave them 16 wins on the season. That mark ties the school record for most wins in a season, and the Cards will certainly be hoping to break that record as early as next week. I'm sure they'd love to blow it out of the water by winning their remaining five potential games to snag the ACC and NCAA tournament titles, neither of which the Cards have ever claimed. Louisville will get the winner of the BC and UVA game on Friday at 1PM, as they automatically advance to the ACC Semifinals. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Jeff is back this week so the live YouTube portion of the show should return. We'll see about that, though, as we've been haunted by technological issues recently. At any rate, we'll have four in the house to recap the week that was. Volleyball was off yesterday so we'll have plenty of time to talk about the big win over Pitt from Sunday, the field hockey regular season title, and the wrap up of the women's soccer season. If there's time, we'll look at the WBB Tip-off Luncheon, which Paulie will cover in more detail next week. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

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Apple Podcasts: Link

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Overcast (free account required): Link

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RadioPublic: Link

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Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Field Hockey Wins -- Women's Soccer Wins -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

It was a busy day on Floyd Street again with both field hockey and women's soccer in action. Also on Floyd Street, but not directly related to a UofL team was Bellarmine field hockey playing a match at Trager Stadium against Ball State. Bellarmine will be using Trager Stadium as their home location this season.

Paulie was out performing as a master chef at a birthday celebration most of the day and that, sadly, kept him and Sonya from campus. He also seemed to master his craft of grilling without catching anything on fire so hit him up for your burger and brats needs. With Paulie out for the day and myself practically living on Floyd Street for the next few weeks it was easier for me to go on and recap both games. He'll take my Tuesday article in exchange.

Field Hockey Shuts Out New Hampshire

There was a Wildcats team on campus yesterday but they weren't from down I-64 and they weren't from East High with their singing and dancing. It was the Wildcats of New Hampshire that visited Trager Stadium to take on Justine Sowry's squad.

The #5 ranked Cardinals cruised to a 3-0 victory to improve to 2-0 on the year. Each goal was scored by a different player in a different quarter.

Late in the second quarter, Alli Bitting inbounded the ball on a penalty corner. Aimee Plumb took a shot that was deflected the goalkeeper, but the ball bounced straight to eye level of Bitting who had an open goal to work with. Like in basketball, this is why you are taught to follow a shot.

After carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime, Louisville scored a second goal from a set piece. The inbounds pass went to Julie Kouijzer, whose shot was more of a pass to Katie Schneider standing at the foot of the goal. Schneider used her stick as a ramp to send the ball into the air and the back of the cage.

The final goal came late in the fourth quarter as an insurance goal more than anything. After a pressing Cardinals attack forward, the ball got knocked around and deflected until the freshman Filippa Niebuhr came face-to-face with the ball and cage for her first score of the year.

Louisville pulled off penalty corners like it was a rabbit in a magic hat, but the keeper for New Hampshire had herself one heck of a day and limited to the scores off the corners to just two. She tallied double-digit saves on the day and kept the Wildcats in the game for much longer than anticipated.

On the defensive end for the Cards, Louisville's Mila de Kuijer had little action in goal. She saw one shot on goal the entire day and easily saved it. Besides that, she was hanging out by the grill with Paulie.

We got a chance to speak with Coach Justine Sowry following the win. You can check out her interview here.

Following our interaction with Coach Sowry, we got a chance to speak with Alli Bitting and get her thoughts on the game. You can check that out here.

Louisville hits the road to Princeton next weekend to take on Penn and Princeton. They'll return home the weekend after.

Women's Soccer Improves to 3-0 with Win

After a short break at home to cool down for me, I went back to campus to Dr Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium. The weather cooperated a lot better this time than the last go-around.

Louisville was fresh off a somewhat surprising close match against James Madison on Friday and bounced back with a 3-0 victory over instate opponent Northern Kentucky.

Unlike Friday's match, the Cards found a way to maintain position a majority of the night and continued to press forward without ever pulling off the reins.

It was fairly early into the game when Abby Baldridge lined up to send a free kick into the box. The ball connected with the head of fellow freshman Hayley Howard, who knocked the shot in for her first career goal.

Roughly 12 minutes later, Delaney Snyder broke loose from a defender hot on her tail to send a shot across the box and into the left corner of the goal for her second score of the year.

Midway through the second half, Emma Hiscock worked her way around a couple defenders to get a shot past the NKU keeper into the upper part of the goal for her team-leading third of the season.

It was the offense the proved to be the best defense for the Cards as their 18 total shots and eight shots on goal kept the Norse on their heels much of the night. NKU did find a little wiggle room on a couple occasions for a pair of shots on goal, both which were handled cleanly by Gabby Kouzelos.

With her save in the first half, Kouzelos recorded 200 career saves. Another save in the second half put her at 201 and a spot in the top five all-time in program history. After a rough game on Friday, Kouzelos looked back to her normal self in goal and was noticeably more vocal as she corralled her team and back line of defenders into position all night.

Louisville still has some work to do as they were heavy on the fouls on the night and are still figuring out the kinks with working on scoring opportunities, but you run into those issues with a young team that played seven freshmen and five sophomores (18 players saw minutes).

I wasn't able to stick around for postgame on this one but Coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes seemed much more pleased with her team following the match.

The Cards improve to 3-0 on the year and head to Saint Louis on Thursday before returning home Sunday night to take on Western Kentucky.

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared