Molly Sauer Update From China -- Papa John's Cardinal Stadium Expansion -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Sauer and U.S. Collegiate National Team Prepare to Close Out Tour

Molly Sauer

Molly Sauer has enjoyed her time traveling with the U.S. Collegiate National Team - China.  Besides a schedule full of Chinese volleyball powerhouses they have had time to experience the culture.  Recently Sauer posted a picture on social media from the Great Wall of China.

In their first three matches they are 2-1.  The other two matches are listed for May 29 (no update) and May 30.  The second and third matches were against Zhejiang, a professional volleyball team in China.

Sauer's Instagram Story

May 24 vs Zhejiang lost 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21).  The States committed 34 errors total in the match, proving to be the downfall in the loss.

May 25 vs Zhejiang won 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-9).  Sauer and her squad rebounded from the loss one day prior and obliterated the Chinese in the third set after an easy first set and tight second set.

There were no quotes from Sauer, but we know the libero has played a huge factor on the team and is as beneficial with the U.S National Team as she is with Louisville.

The rising senior also celebrated her birthday three days ago while overseas.

Football Stadium Expansion Update Released

Panorama Photo by Morgan Lentes, WLKY

With the return of the football team for practices starting Monday night talk of the expansion update soon followed.  The team hosted media yesterday to explore the new addition and to see how it is coming along.

The $63-million expansion is quickly on its way to being completed.  The new training room is operational and features two plunge pools, hydro-therapy room, 4x rehab space as the old one, and a much larger weight and cardio room.  The seating is not yet completed, but will accompany the two new 40-foot by 80-foot LED video boards in time for the home opener against Indiana State.

Other News and Notes

Cardinal Forever Josh Rogers

UofL baseball alum Josh Rogers was back in town last night with the Scranton Railriders.  Rogers pitched for Louisville in 2013 and 2014 and was a key member on those two teams that made their way to Omaha.  The Triple-A pitcher got the start against the Louisville Bats and went a solid seven innings, giving up five hits and zero runs while striking out three.  His ERA is hovering around a 2.5 while his record is 5-3.  Unfortunately, he did not bring his buddies at Dunder-Mifflin down with him.

Olivia Cason just wrapped up her season with women's golf and is already moving onto another big event.  The rising senior will compete in the U.S. Women's Open in Shoal Creek, Ala., beginning this Thursday.  She is part of the 36-player field and the only Cardinal competing.


Kassidy Manning and Joe Delgado were named to the 2018 Google Cloud All-District Track and Field teams.  To be eligible, athletes must be a starter or key reserve and maintain at least a 3.3 GPA while reaching sophomore standing at their school.

I'd like to wish my mom a happy early birthday, as she adds another year of experience to her life this Thursday.  My dad celebrated his birthday about a week and a half ago and my brother's is next week.  My September birthday makes me the odd one out in my family.

Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Let's play two...oops... five today! -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FIELD HOCKEY, VOLLEYBALL AND SOCCER

A popular term for a double-header is "Let's play two, today!" Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs was well-known for his quote...

"It's a great day for a ballgame...let's play two!" 

If you're a UofL sports fan, take that...double it and add one...as five matches take place for the Cards today in three different cities.

Our tour begins in Bowling Green, OH with Louisville Volleyball starting the Bowling Green Hampton Inn Tournament action at 10 a.m. Our roving reporter Jeff "Worldwide" McAdams is on site for the action. We're not sure if he's actually staying in the Hampton Inn or not...but he will be in the Stroh Center to watch the wide-net proceedings. The Cards face Oakland...out of the Horizon League and owner of a 18-13 record last season. No TV that we know of on this one...check the Twitter feeds for Louisville Volleyball and Card Couple Radio for updates! Sidearm Sports also runs a stat-tracker you can access through the Bowling Green Volleyball homepage. 

We jump from Ohio to Indiana next and land in Bloomington...where the Indiana University campus is located. Justine Sowry takes her flock of Field Hockey Cardinals to face I.U. in the first regular-season game for UofL. The Cards were winners there in 2014 and also defeated IU in Trager last season. It's the Battle of the Border and the #12 ranked Cards have built up a nice, little rivalry with those girls in Crimson over the years. 3 p.m. is the start time for this match on the pitch and it can be seen on the Big Ten Network Plus or at BTN2Go.com if you have access to it. This was a trip I made two years ago and was very tempted to go again this year. It's an absolutely beautiful drive from Louisville. 

Next we'll head back to Bowling Green where Louisville plays their second match of the day...this time against Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) at 4:30. The Rams participate in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and were 14-17 in 2015. 

At 5:30, focus turns to Lynn Stadium in Louisville, KY where the women's soccer team looks to stay undefeated on the season when they go up against UAB. The Kickin' Cards down the Blazers 1-0 in the rain at Birmingham last year. This is where I'll be tonight, and after the women's game...the men's soccer team faces Butler around 7:30 or so. Our newest writer, Case Hoskins will be on hand and will have the write-up of the evenings activities in the Saturday edition of Cardinal Couple. He'll also discuss what he saw on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR Saturday morning at 11 a.m. on Crescent Hill Radio. www.crescenthillradio.com

Two games for the price of one and it's also BOGO night (buy one ticket, get one free). There's food and beverage specials and a new playground for the kids on the north side of the field. The weather is looking perfect for tonight...get out and cheer Ken Lolla and Karen Ferguson-Dayes' squads on to victory! 

It's just the start of a very busy week for UofL athletics. Volleyball goes again tomorrow and we'll talk to Worldwide via phone to recap and preview the action during our show. Sunday brings more women's soccer with the Cards hosting Toledo. Monday finds Field Hockey at Miami (OH) and men's soccer hosting Quinnipiac. Rest up Tuesday and Wednesday if you can...because Football starts the season Thursday night in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium against Charlotte. Friday features UK coming to Lynn to take on Cardinal women's soccer, Volleyball brings Santa Clara to the KFC YUM! Center and football heads to Syracuse. 

(Pausing to catch my breath and wipe my brow...) 

Oh, by the way...it's also Labor Day weekend next weekend.

So...grab your shin guards, net, shoes, seat cushions, cooler, sticks and balls of every size and get ready for competitive college athletics Louisville style. Fall sports comin' at ya in waves and we'll be here to give you the news.  

paulie
xxxxx

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Fantastic Floyd Street.

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Floyd Street: The hub of Cardinal sports activity


I guess we local Louisville Cardinal fans take Floyd Street around the UofL campus for granted at times. I was talking with an out-of-town UofL fan recently and was describing the various facilities that are present on the stretch of Floyd from Brandeis Street to Central Avenue and the verbal tour I gave him made me realize that a lot of out-of-town Cardinal followers might not realize just what is encompassed in this small stretch of highway.

I had the opportunity to head to campus Sunday. Football open practice and a visit to 80 Under 80 to secure parking passes for the football season. Here's what I saw on that brief drive.

Getting off I-65 at the Arthur Street exit and taking a right onto Brandeis...the first thing you notice is Ulmer Stadium...the home of Cardinal softball. The ballpark is undergoing a refurbish this summer...more seating and a larger pressbox being constructed. Turning left onto Floyd Street, you drive by Ulmer and can see the bleachers on the left field line and field. A quick glance to my right revealed the Student Activities Center building as well. This facility holds Cardinal Arena, where the women's basketball team practices and Volleyball team holds a few matches each year. The three-story building also houses several of the coaches' offices and a weight room. There are also racquetball courts inside, several more basketball courts and a lot of intramural events are held there. It's where I go to do interviews with coaches Walz, Ferguson-Dayes and Pearsall for CARDINAL COUPLE Radio.

Right next to the SAC on the right is a four story parking facility. If you look to the left, you'll see Cardinal Park...where soccer and track and field hold their home events. There is also a kids' playground and building with locker rooms for softball and interview rooms.

I travel just a few yards further and I see Trager Stadium, home of Louisville Field Hockey, on my left and the Ralph Wright building on my right...where Louisville swimming performs their magic. I am at the corner of Floyd and Warnock...a McDonald's restaurant is on one corner, soccer practice fields, the theatre department's auxiliary playhouse on the right, across the street from the Ralph Wright Building. I go through the light and travel south on Floyd. There is parking for a short stretch and a Papa John's pizza restaurant to my right. I can see parking for the Bass-Rudd Tennis facility and the building to my left.

I am coming up to the new Soccer Stadium under construction on my left and the Yum! Practice facility on my right. The Yum! is where men's basketball and women's volleyball practice and if I do interviews with coaches Kordes or Kellie Young, I go there. Next to the Yum! is the Louisville lacrosse stadium. Coach Young has a great view of the field from her office. There are also railroad tracks on Floyd around this area. Sometimes, during lacrosse games...trains roll by and give a friendly blast to encourage Nikki Boltja or Kaylin Morissette to score.

Next on Floyd Street are the UofL football practice fields. Across the street on my left are a few small businesses and the former Parrish House (now Cardinal Alley) on the corner of Boxley and Floyd. 80 Under 80, the ultimate tailgating location for Cardinal football sits there also. To my right is parking for Papa John's Football Stadium. The offices of Louisville Sports Report are to my left and the majestic football stadium towers to my right. I get to the corner of Central and Floyd...reserved parking on either side of me.
Straight ahead would take me to more football parking. If I turn right...the Jim Patterson Baseball Stadium and Churchill Downs wait for me once I go over the Denny Crum Overpass. A left turn takes me to Crittenden Drive, the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center and Hall of Fame Restaurant.

A short drive, maybe five minutes in peak traffic...but the lifeline and hub of so many Cardinal Sports.

I remember years ago, when Floyd Street south of Warnock was a collection of old houses, buildings, a bar or two, railroad yards and not much else. My, how things change! It is, perhaps...our doppelganger for Times Square in New York...a constant hub of activity and action.

We'll see you on Floyd this season. Park wherever you like...

...

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Cardinal fans: Some perspectives

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- "I'm a Cardinal fan."

As you probably realize, here at CARDINAL COUPLE...we try to present UofL women's sports from a fan's perspective. The writers here at the site are all huge Cardinal Sports fans and have spanned the nation in our travels to watch University of Louisville teams play.

I once did a count of the states I had been to following UofL teams. The final number was 30. I'm sure my columnists here at the site have comparable numbers.

Several weeks ago, I began contacting Cardinal fans I've had the pleasure of meeting as a fan, as a writer...and posed a simple question to them:

What is a UofL fan?

I got some great responses and, since things are a bit slow right now in Louisville as far as campus activity and games go currently, I decided to build an article around these responses. Got a take? Feel free to leave it in the comments section. Here we go.


-Cliff G:

"For me, it's supporting the teams I follow with season tickets, away trips when I can go and following them on the computer, in the media and talking about them with friends and co-workers. I've had the chance to go to some wonderful places over the last 29 years and see some incredible games. I was in Dallas when Denny Crum won the 1986 NCAA College Basketball title. A kid, but I remember it very well. I've been to Arizona and saw Howard's team beat Alabama. Probably my favorite trip was this spring when I rotated back and forth from Atlanta and New Orleans watching the basketball teams. I represent with my voice, my attendance and my wallet."

-Tom B:

"I think a Cardinal fan shows their choice by attendance, talking up the teams and wearing the gear. My wife says I have too many Cardinal shirts, hats and things. Each one holds a special memory for me though and I can't depart with them to the DAV or Goodwill. I still have a t-shirt that has the Final Four Participants from the 1980 men's basketball tournament. I have a football signed by every coach since Bob Weber. I have a picture of me and ex-womens' basketball coach Bud Childers. A lot of the older things I have stored away in boxes..but my den is a shrine to Cardinal Athletics. Framed prints, posters, newspaper headlines and other things I've collected since I was a boy and going to Freedom Hall to watch Butch Beard and Wes Unseld."

-Cindy L:

"I just love UofL teams, especially the women's teams. I live out-of-town now but when I attended UofL, I went to women's basketball and softball games when I could. I was in St. Louis when Louisville women's basketball made it to the championship game and had classes with a couple of the players on that team. I'm married now, my husband is a big Illinois fan and sometimes that causes a little bit of a rivalry between us. We agree on several things though. We both like to see UK lose, when Louisville is on TV we watch and we'll never forget watching the women's basketball team beat Baylor because we were at the hospital with his sister who was in labor. She had a beautiful baby girl 3 hours after the Cards won that game. Wouldn't it be cool if she grew up to be a basketball player and went to UofL?"

-Adam G:

"Football is what I love the most. The whole thing. Tailgating, the game, the fans. My dad took us out when we were kids and Louisville had just started playing in Papa John's. We made trips to Memphis, Michigan, Florida and St. Pete for bowl games. I actually quit a job a couple of years ago because my boss wouldn't let me off on Saturday's to go to football games. I get student season-tickets because I go part-time to UofL. My girlfriend's dad played football at UofL, so she's a big fan too. I go to men's and women's basketball too, and baseball. We also did a volleyball game last season and we'll most def be back this year. Go Cards!"


Cardinal fans. They represent, they display and they show up. I was recently in Gatlinburg, TN. on vacation. I counted over 20 people in UofL shirts or hats in the five days I was there. Only UT was better represented.

So, what is a Cardinal fan?

In short, they appreciate the players and the plays...no matter who makes them. They represent the school and own the praise or the blame for their conduct. They are slow to "boo" and quick to praise. They defend their choice in hostile territory. They may live far away from Louisville or five minutes from campus. They may attend hundreds of games a year or have never stepped foot on campus or the venues where the teams play.


They are toddlers, old men, construction workers, waitress and attorneys. They are black, white, short, tall, wear glasses, drink bourbon, eat wings, drive clunkers, live in mansions, shop at WalMart and none or all of the above.

And, in 2013...they are having the time of their lives.

GO CARDS!

-Paulie

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Scary storms, tornado rock Papa John's Cardinal Stadium

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE-SPECIAL EDITION

-Tornado touches down near Churchill Downs, PJCS





   Scary moments for CARDINAL COUPLE Co-Owner Paul Wednesday night while down at Churchill Downs and the Parrish House area. A violent storm ripped through the area, knocking the roof off a barn on the backside of the track at Churchill, damaging four other barns and demolishing Levee Lift Equipment Supply building at the corner of Floyd and Central Street.

Paul took this photo from Floyd Street, facing south toward Central Avenue...outside the Parrish House. At least a dozen power and utility poles were knocked down. Papa John's Cardinal Stadium was not damaged nor was the Parrish House. Businesses south of Central on Floyd Street took the brunt of the damage.




Damaged barn at Churchill.  Thanks to Gretchen for the photo.

  Paul spoke to LG&E employees at the scene who estimated it would take more than a couple of days to reset and restore the telephone and utility poles knocked down and damaged. Paul spoke to me via phone and sent the pictures ...



Rain at Churchill Downs

 "Pretty scary stuff...I saw this thing touch down..it looked like one of the barns exploded back on the back side and then it looked like it was headed toward Papa John's and the Parrish House. Stuff, debris flying everywhere...I backtracked over to the Parrish House by car and things are OK there but I'm driving on Bradley Street right now and there are trees down, power is out and debris everywhere here. Sirens going off everywhere. "
.

Angel and Dream take 1-0 advantage

THURSDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Angel key in 95-90 Dream win

-"worst joke I have heard lately"

-another chance to spend your paycheck

Former UofL great Angel McCoughtry refused to lose last night and the visiting Atlanta Dream took a 1-0 lead in the WNBA Eastern Conference semifinals...defeating the Washington Mystics 95-90 in the Verizon Center. McCoughtry led all scorers with 28 points as Atlanta broke a two game losing streak.

The Dream began the game with a vengeance...jumping out to an early 10-1 lead...largely due to the efforts of Iziane Castro-Marquez. Washington clawed their way back into the contest, though and led 19-17 as first quarter action finished.

The Dream regained the lead early in the second quarter and put on an excellent shooting and fast break display...going 16 for 19 from the floor in the second stanza and taking a 48-33 advantage into the locker room at halftime. McCoughtry totaled 17 first half points and guard Coco Miller added 10. The Dream couldn't catch a break on fouls, though...and several players had 3 whistled on them in first half action.

Atlanta managed to sustain the double digit lead through the 3rd quarter. A late Mystic run cut the margin to 10 at 68-58 to end the 3rd quarter. McCoughtry was silenced most of the period...but still had 21 points on the scoreboard.

What followed was a wild and wacky 4th quarter. Washington methodically narrowed the Atlanta advantage and had whittled the margin to 68-63 with 8:59 remaining. They would climb within 2 at 77-75 and Atlanta looked to be on the ropes with 4:30 left in the game. Angel and Miller found some spare gas, though and the Dream went on a 9-0 run to hold a 84-75 lead with 2:54 to go. Washington would manage to cut the deficit to four several times in the final minutes but clutch free throw shooting by Miller and McCoughtry preserved the 5 point win.

The teams travel to Atlanta for game 2 on Friday in the best of three playoff format. If the Mystics win...game three returns to Washington on Sunday.

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The other playoff game last night featured the Seattle Storm hosting the L.A. Sparks. Seattle took the contest 79-66...getting 20 points from Swin Cash and 17 from Lauren Jackson. Two games on tap for Thursday night...New York and Indiana go to battle in the East and Phoenix and San Antonio square off in the West.

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I watched the Dream victory last night on WNBA All-Access from my laptop. Good picture, only one freeze up but the play by play and commentary was horrendous. Beside being blatant Mystics "homers"...the inept crew kept mispronouncing half the Dream's players names and was offering moronic advice like "if you allow Atlanta wide open shots in the paint...they'll score" and "if Atlanta could make more free throws...they'd have a bigger lead."

Really? I have no idea where they find these bozos...but wherever it is...it's a source they need to drop. Two hobos by a shanty near a railroad track could have provided better analysis and play by play.

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OK...this one is horrible but it had me going until the final sentence:

'Charlie Strong, UofL football coach has been replacing Rick Pitino in television commercials in the Louisville area market as of late. As we all know, most television commercials are 30 seconds in length. Pitino can only last 15.'

It's only going to get worse as basketball season gets closer and closer. Hang in there, Rick...maybe Calipari will do something stupid to take the pressure off you.

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Changes on tap for the football season and the goings on at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The ticket office and Cardinal apparel store is now open next to the east entrance and offers 10% off any purchase if you are a season ticket holder. There is now a no-smoking policy in force inside the stadium (good luck on that one) and food and drink specials will be offered before the game on the new south side observation deck overlooking the Crunch Zone and end zone.

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Good luck to former Cardinal great Candyce Bingham who is leaving today to go play Euro hoops. Never felt that she got a fair break to make the WNBA after graduation...but she's probably making more money overseas...so go to the hoop and block out, C.B.