Hartlage placed sixth individually, posting a score of 215/-1. She finished behind players from San Jose State, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Middle Tennessee State, and Kansas while tying with a player from Kentucky.
Mairead Martin scored 218/+2 to finish 13th. Olivia Cason finished with a score of 219/+3 to finish tied for 14th. Only the Spartans had their top three players finish better, taking first, eighth, and tied-ninth.
The finish at the Prestwick Golf Club is a strong start to the 2018-19 season for women's golf, who began the preseason rankings at #22. Expect them to see a slight rise in the polls following the outing.
San Jose State 282-287-281 (860/-4)
Virginia Tech 283-290-299 (872/+8)
Louisville 292-290-291 (873/+9)
Eastern Carolina 288-282-304 (874/+10)
Kentucky 294-286-300 (880/+16)
Who Has Looked Good So Far?
Four women's teams have had regular season events so far in the 2018-19 year: women's soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and women's golf. Some have looked better than expected and some have a little work to do.-- Women's Soccer --
A 6-1-0 start to the season is their best since 2012. Although the offense has come and gone depending on the opponent this season they have put up a total of 21 goals this season for an average of three goals/game. Defensively, only six goals have been scored against the Cards with two of those coming in a loss at Purdue.
The Kickin' Cards have impressed us so far and were a second half collapse away from a perfect non-conference schedule. Hopefully they'll keep the ball rolling into ACC play and reach that 10-win mark or go even further!
-- Volleyball --
All three losses have come against ranked opponents and away from home. Two of the losses were at opponents' home courts and another coming at a neutral site. The six victories have all been 3-0 or 3-1 victories in pretty one-sided match-ups. Sitting at 6-3, the Volley Cards are fighting to stay in the receiving votes category of the Coaches Poll. They return home to host Kentucky in front of a sold out crowd this Friday.
So far Louisville has performed at right about what most of us expected. Although I don't foresee an undefeated conference schedule it would come as no surprise if they claim the ACC title again.
-- Field Hockey --
Had the Cards gotten the win against the Buckeyes to sit a 5-1 instead of their actual 4-2 we could put them ahead of schedule, but for now they're right on pace with where we had them. They host #11 Northwestern and #9 Boston College this weekend at Trager Stadium. A minimum of one win with a preferred two wins would keep the Cards where they need to be.
Coach Justine Sowry has stressed that the team needs to play to its strengths and stay within system. With the best women's field hockey goalkeeper in the world, surely one of those strengths has to be defense. We'll see how Ayeshia McFerran and her teammates back on the last line of defense handle the rest of the ACC schedule and challenging non-conference foes beginning this weekend.
-- Women's Golf --
They've only had one outing so far and placed third, just one stroke shy of a tie for second. Several key players performed well and placed in the Top-15, setting the pace for a good season, or so we hope. Pulling off what the Cards did last year is a tall task, but this team appears to be up for the challenge.
My knowledge about golf is slim and I have not followed our women's golf team much except in the last couple of years so I am rapidly learning and have been impressed with what I've seen!
What Day Is It?
National Day of Encouragement sounds like a good one to start with. We all need a few words here and there pushing us forward and keeping us on track. A little encouragement can go a long way, just think of what it's done for all of our student-athletes here at UofL!A personal favorite of mine is chocolate milkshake day. It's hard to find places around town that make a top-of-the-line milkshakes, but even a lesser one can still do the trick.
For you video game lovers this day is also dedicated to you. I grew up with the Gameboy Color, one of the first handheld video games ever created. The PlayStation, XBox, and Wii weren't even thought of yet and the best cell phone flipped open and close with a long antenna. Nowadays, you can play video games online with people from around the world through a device no bigger than the size of your palm.
Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!
- Jared -
