VOLLEYBALL ADDS MORGAN -- WNBA RECAP -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 TAYLOR MORGAN JOINS VOLLEYBALL STAFF

Taylor Morgan, who was a key player on the University of Minnesota's Final four team last season, has joined the UofL Volleyball staff as an assistant coach.

"We are thrilled to add Taylor to the staff," Dani Busboom Kelly commented. "Clearly she played at a very high level, but what stood out is her character is on par with her talent. She is a great example for our young women and will make a fantastic coach someday. there is no doubt she will make an immediate difference in our program." 

Morgan was a 6'0" middle blocker for the Gophers and was a second team Big 10 selection and All-Region Honorable Mention he senior year. She had six blocks for the Gophers last season in the match that eliminated Louisville from the NCAA Tournament 3-0 in the "great Eight" NCAA Regional finals in Austin, TX. on Dec. 14th. 2019

She had 514 kills and 283 blocks in her career at Minnesota. Morgan hails from Blaine, MN, a suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. 

Louisville Volleyball is scheduled to start the 2020 season Sept. 16th against Kentucky.

CARDS WSOC CALLIE MCKINNEY TO BELLARMINE

Callie McKinney was an excellent mid-fielder for the Louisville women's soccer squad during her four years as a Cardinal. Callie was a starter all four years at Louisville. She's taken those skills and parlayed them into a coaching career. 

The Knights announced last night that McKinney has joined the staff as a graduate assistant. 

Bellarmine will compete (sooner or later) in Division I women's soccer and is in the A Sun Conference. Glad to see that Callie will still be around "the Ville" - and hope she can do wonderful things as a part of head coach Chris Tinius' staff! 

WNBA SCORES

Three out of the four UofL WBB Cardinals in "the wubble" were in action last night.

CHICAGO SKY 84 -- LAS VEGAS 82

A heart-breaking loss for Angel and the Aces last night. With 13 seconds to go, Chicago ran a nifty out-of-bounds double screen that eventually got Azura Stevens wide open under the basket and she sank the layup to sink Las Vegas. 

Angel McCoughtry led the Aces with 17 points. She was one of five double-digit scorer for the Aces, who are now 8-3. McCoughtry added five rebounds in 21 minutes of play. 

Las Vegas led 25-15 after one quarter but Chicago (8-4) roared back in the second half and grabbed a nine-point lead. Vegas was able to tie it late, but the Sky managed to get their second win in a row.

SEATTLE 105 - NEW YORK 64

A tough night for the New York Liberty against league-leading Seattle last night. The Storm jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had things well in control by the half, leading 61-28.

For New York (1-10) Jazmine Jones had 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.  Kylee Shook saw 18 minutes and had four points and six rebounds. 

The struggling Liberty have lost their last five games in a row.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, mask up, keep your distance and sanitize and wash.

paulie 

First Day of Classes -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 First Day of Classes

Louisville began the fall semester yesterday with students adjusting to a mix of in person and virtual classes.  UofL is in a hybrid where some classes are full in person, some are completely online, and some are split.

What we do not know is which types of classes the student-athletes are in.  Typically, our UofL student-athletes spend a lot of time with in-person classes, but due to their bubble requirements we can assume they are limited to online only to prevent exposure.

Many of the teams posted are their various forms of social media the ever-popular 'First Day of Classes' photo.  Instead of typing a heavily-worded article I figured we'd go on the lighter side and share pictures of some of those student-athletes all geared up for school.

Lacrosse

Field Hockey

Softball

Soccer

Volleyball

Basketball

We wish all of our student-athletes the best as they begin the Fall 2020 semester.  We must remember that they are students first and foremost.

Do you have any first day of school memories?  Feel free to share!

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

SALIVA TEST A GAME-CHANGER -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SALIVADIRECT DEVELOPED BY YALE

(Just a preliminary warning...today's article is not about scores, results, players or teams. It's a discussion on health...and that can ultimately affect any and all players, teams, results and scores.)

Paulie

If you have gone through COVID 19 testing, you know that it can be uncomfortable, it takes a few days  (normally) to get the results back and it wasn't widely accessible at first and still isn't, in some areas. 

That could be in the past, as a saliva-based laboratory test, developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health has been granted an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The NBA (National Basketball Association) funded the project and is validating the test for asymptomatic individuals. The good news is that SalivaDirect is simpler, less painful, less expensive than the nose swab and results can be determined in several hours, according to scientist.

It makes sense. Saliva is quick and easy to collect. It's less obtrusive to gather and labs can double their testing capabilities since the procedure of drawing the mucus from the Q-Tip is now eliminated. . 

For athletes, it's a game-changer. Quicker decisions to quarantine individuals who test positive can be made.to ensure the health and safety of the entire team, coaches and staff. And, all of society could benefit from this rapid turn-around in this procedure to determine if you have COVID 19 or not.

Imagine a test that can be made available, almost immediately, to diagnostic laboratories who could quickly scale it up for use across the nation in mere weeks. It is here in Saliva-Direct. 

To put it in sports terms, if you can identify a problem faster and take steps to prevent it, you're chances of winning are better. Or, the faster we stop (Player A) from scoring, the better (team B) going to do in the game.

For the student-athletes on college campuses all across our nation, it's a step to help alleviate fears of catching COVID-19. If a positive case can be identified fasted and quarantined quickly, the spread is lessened. 

The questions remain on how fast this new procedure can be implemented for mass usage and how widely will it be accepted and used by schools, organizations and other aspects of society. Like anything, there will not be 100% acceptance and those who hold out. To that, I simply say: "Welcome to 2020." 

Imagine going to work on a Monday morning, though, producing a sample for testing and knowing by the end of the work day (or sooner) whether you are positive or negative. Talk about a quick remedy for alleviating  fear and anxiety that exists in a lot of us! Talk about helping eliminating or lessen the chances of spread of the disease!  

Until then, it's important that you do the things being recommended. Wear a mask, avoid big social gatherings that don't have spacing properly implenents and proceduures in play and wash and use hand sanitizer. Follow the example of those in the "bubble", "wubble", on college campuses and (hopefully) schools that are choosing to resume in-attendance classes

Be safe and smart. If you;re "high-risk", don't subject yourself or others to danger and COVID-19. 

Many of us want to enjoy the possibilities of attending live sporting events and not having to worry about our or other's safety and health. Until a vaccine is developed and widely administered, it just makes good sense to stay safe. Ask your favorite coach or athlete. They'll tell you the same.  

I don't speak for the entire staff here at Cardinal Couple with these statements today, but I'd bet that my fellow writers and participants would agree in principal with the "stay safe" guidelines. I may not speak for you, the reader, as well. But, with the promising testing developments that are starting to surface, it's a benefit to all of us in our quest to put this game out of reach and get the win over COVID-19. 

As any coach will tell you, once you cut down on the decisions that can create errors or setbacks, your chances of winning go up. Play smart, make good decisions. Be a team player and align your own personal goals and desires with those around you. .You are part of the solution, if you become a team player. You're part of the problem if you are a "me first" type.

Let's go get this win. 

(If you're commenting today, keep it civil. If you want to e-mail me today about the article, have at it but keep it civil. Use your indoor voice and try to make a point.)  

paulie .  

Sunday Cardinal Couple

 WNBA Check-in

A moment of editorial, if you will, before we check on results in the WNBA.  While there was some concern about the frequency of games in the WNBA this year, with teams playing every 2nd or 3rd day, compared to the more typical one a week of WNBA scheduling, I must say that I have been thoroughly enjoying the ability to pretty much sit down and turn on an WNBA game any day of the week.  Perhaps, in future seasons, the league could consider more frequent games, even if not at the frenetic pace of this year's schedule.  But, anyway, let's check in on our Cards.

The Washington Mystics looked unbeatable in the opening week of the season but now?  I'm not really sure what has happened.  They won the opening trio of games, but now have dropped the next seven.  The most recent 73-88.  Admittedly, they played the Las Vegas Aces yesterday, who are sitting at 2nd place in the league with a record of 8-2.

This matchup, of course, pits Myisha Hines-Allen vs Angel McCoughtry.

Neither of our alumnae had stellar games in this one, but neither does anything to apologize for on the court.  Hines-Allen may have been the most help for the Mystics on the boards, with seven rebounds, but she did contribute nine points to go along with them.  A near double-double is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it's not the headline grabbing numbers we saw at the beginning of the year.

McCoughtry got 11 points, but was otherwise not a huge factor on the stats sheet with a trio of rebounds and an assist.

The evening game saw the New York Liberty get...well, thumped is about the only way to put it, by the Minnesota Lynx.  The final in this one 94-64.  Perhaps Muffet McGraw can chime in and help the Liberty figure out how to bounce back from a drubbing like that.  The Liberty, as has been discussed here plenty, have a roster replete with rookies, including Jaz Jones and Kylee Shook.

Kylee Shook put up nine points, three rebounds, and it wouldn't be a Kylee Shook game without a blocked shot.  A couple of clips made the Liberty social media feed, including a trey from beyond the arc with the assist to Jaz Jones.

Speaking of Jaz Jones, she got a highlight reel of her own from the Liberty after getting a team high 13 points, four rebounds and a couple of dimes, including the aforementioned one to Shook.  A coast-to-coast, shooting from range, a spin cycle, a euro-step, the dime to Shook, and finishing with some no-foul contact, all made the clip.

No Cards in action today with all of them on the court yesterday,   Wings and Mercury at 1pm, Storm and Sun at 3pm, and Sky vs Dream at 4pm.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

(Rumors of Paulie's defection to NC State to join cover Wes Moore and Mr & Ms. Wuf have not been confirmed) 

Let's say it was three and a half of us on the show yesterday.  Jared was banking, but a slow day let him listen in and chime in with some comments and quiz answers in our chat feature.  Otherwise, well, let's just say we were all in some sort of mood for this one.

Plenty of Covid-19 related news to digest, WNBA analysis, and a really fun quiz made up the show yesterday.  "Who Am I?" was the theme for the quiz. See if you can do better than us in the rebroadcast below. In a battle to the wire, I managed to eke out perennial winner Jared by a mere 10 points, 70-60. Case "also participated" 

The quiz is always great fun and Paulie threw a very, very tough one at us with the "Who Am I" format.

Check it out!

No Championships; What Are We Doing? -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 ACC Yet to Announce Postponement of Fall Sports

Paulie wrote about this yesterday, so you'll have to forgive me for repeating topics, but what are we doing here? With the cancellation of fall sports championships by the NCAA, the ever-growing likelihood of conference-only seasons, and the continuing threat of cancellation at any point, why have the other three Power 5 conferences not gotten on board with the PAC-12 and Big 10? I know that we want to see fall sports. I want to see women's soccer continue their evolution as they have over the last couple of years, and I'm sure Jeff is itching to see a mostly intact volleyball squad pick up where they left off. However, we're getting closer to this creating a completely unfair situation for the fall student-athletes. 

Nick Saban was quoted the other day lamenting that the argument has become "we shouldn't have football" when he believes a more appropriate argument would be "we shouldn't have school." I think he's spot on, but he's missing the point. How many schools are opening to in person classes only because it would make no sense to have football without class? It would be unjustifiable. In the fall, in the southeast (and South Bend), football is king. If schools like Georgia were making a legitimate effort instead of putting a four foot piece of plexiglass on the front of the professor's desk, we'd probably not be having classes, and therefore we'd have no football. But that isn't the case. Those schools know who pays the bills, so they're open for business. We've talked about how these conference-only schedules are built to benefit football specifically in the past. College football teams already play 75% of their regular schedule in conference and don't play all of the teams in the league. Adding more conference games doesn't hurt their feelings, but it is a big hit to sports like field hockey, who play less than half of their regular season schedule in conference.

The closer we get to creating some hodge-podge conference-only schedules in the Olympic sports, the closer we get to fall athletes getting screwed. Spring sports received a waiver for getting two-thirds of their season canceled, but the NCAA, not mandating a postponement or cancellation of fall sports, has set up a bunch of athletes to play a half of a season, without the opportunity for a national championship, and have it count as a full season of eligibility. Frankly, it's a bunch of crap, and the conferences that insist their methods are plenty safe (despite some players saying otherwise; see FSU and Syracuse) are complicit in screwing over their non-football athletes. 

I understand that our goal here is to promote the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics, and this doesn't seem to be doing that, but I promise that is my ultimate goal. I want to see all student-athletes at UofL treated the same way, with the same opportunities. The organization that is allegedly in charge of keeping all college athletics on the same page and keeping student-athletes' "best interests" in mind has completely neglected those duties, and is now sitting back, claiming they've done all they can do. I'm mad about it. I want to see the young men and women we support at UofL and throughout the remaining conferences treated fairly, and I suppose that's it. End rant. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Can you guess what one of our main topics might be today? I'll do my best to take a few breaths before the show and calm down, but I imagine many of these points will come up. We'll also chat WNBA, some staffing news at UofL, and hopefully Paulie will continue our weekly quiz. I believe we'll have a full house so tune in at 11AM on the Cardinal Couple Youtube Channel for this week's live show, or check out the rebroadcast any time after the show ends.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

No Fall NCAA Championships -- WNBA Recap -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 NCAA CANCELS FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

NCAA President Mark Emmert broke the news yesterday that a lot of people expected would happen. There will be no fall championships for 2020.

With the list of conferences suspending or postponing fall sports growing daily this week, the decision was made. Also, the cost to schools and the NCAA to hold these, in a projected environment where fan attendance would likely be low or non-existent, was a key factor. 

Another blow in 2020 for the joy and excitement of college sports. 

Yes, there will still be (for now) conference battles and matchups to provide player motivation. Shortened schedules, but a chance to see if squads can produce the stellar seasons on the UofL campus that compare with 2019's successes. UofL Women's Soccer made the NCAA Tournament last year and advance to the second round. Cards Field Hockey battled their way to the NCAA and posted a 16-6 record before bowing out in the NCAA Tournament to Boston College. Who could forget Louisville Volleyball's NCAA run which produced the memorable win over Texas in Texas? 

I feel badly for the hard-working, dedicated fall student-athletes who now know how last year's spring sports squads feel to have the rug pulled out from underneath them. Knowing that their hard work, in normal times, could lead to that coveted NCAA invite and the chance to compete for a national title. 

A sign of the times. Not a sign we like, but, when over 50% of the conferences have shut down the fall seasons -- a harsh reality has come to pass. 

CARDS IN WNBA

All four of UofL WBB's participants in the WNBA took to the "wubble" last night to do battle for their respective teams. Mixed results for Angel, Myisha, Jaz and Kylee in Bradenton: 

INDIANA 86 -- NEW YORK 79

A rough first quarter for the New York Liberty last night againts the Indiana Fever, falling behind 27-17. Although the Liberty were able to make a game of it in the fourth and get within two, the result was another loss for the yoing squad from the Big Apple. 

Jazmine Jones came off the bench to deliver a solid 24 minutes for New York and produced 11 points and grab four rebounds. She was the third leading scorer for New York. Kylee Shook saw 17 minutes and ended up with two points and three rebounds. The Mitchell's (Tiffany and Kelsey) produced 37 of Indiana's points.

LOS ANGELES 81 -- WASHINGTON 64

The slumping Mystics drop another one, falling behind 47-34 in the first half and Washington has now lost six in a row now after starting out 3-0  A 14-0 first quarter LA run proved costly. 

Myisha Hines-Allen started for the Mystics and played 25 minutes. She had 10 points and two rebounds but ran into a bit of foul trouble battling the LA front line of Candace Parker, Brittney Sykes and Nneka Ogwumike. The Mystics are short-handed, no doubt, and missed Aerial Powers last night, 

LAS VEGAS 87 -- MINNESOTA 77

Some good news for UofL WBB fans in the late game last night, as Angel McCoughtry went for 21 points and five boards in the Aces win. Las Vegas is now in sole possession of second place in the league, a game back of Seattle. 

The Aces put up big numbers in the first half, taking a 53-38 lead. Angel is really fitting in well with A'ja Wilson, Kayla McBride and the impressive Jackie Young. The four players combined for 77 of Las Vegas's points. Sylvia Fowles left the game for Minnesota early on, re-injuring her calf muscle -- and Minnesota just isn't the same without "Big Syl".

Have a fortunate Friday...the weekend's here, you made it!

paulie

 

Rowing Adds Assistant Coach -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Rowing Adds Assistant Coach

Louisville Rowing added Callie McGowan to the coaching staff.  McGowan is plenty familiar with the program and city, having been on the team as a student-athlete and just graduated in the spring of 2018.

After graduating with a bachelors degree from Louisville, McGowan went to become a graduate assistant the last two years.  She recently completed her masters in athletic leadership.

"As a former rower, I am honored to be able to come back and continue to push this team to new levels both in our conference and on the national stage," said McGowan.  "I believe Derek and the other coaches have a clear vision for this team.  I am very thankful for this incredible opportunity and am looking forward to getting this season started."

The rowing season often begins with the Red and Black Regatta as a scrimmage.  They typically have a few events in October and November before breaking for winter time.

The back half of the season picks up in March and runs through May, when the ACC Championships take place.

Unlike most sports, rowing is a socially distanced sport between opponents and is contact-less.  Assuming all teams are following the proper procedures and protocol then a rowing season should be one of the safest sports to have, along with cross country, track and field, and tennis. It would be difficult to separate the rowers in one boat, obviously, but that can't be changed. 

Sadly, Louisville doesn't host home events due to the currents in the Ohio River, but we can still cover away events!

Burger Week

A while back, we brought back the Burger of the Week.  Well, it's National Burger Week.  There's plenty of good places to go to.

Here's places I've been to or plan to go to this week:

-Drakes

-Dundee Tavern

-Dizzy Whiz

-Mussel and Burger Bar

-Ollie's Trolley

-Kern's Korner

Where are some of your favorite places to get a burger?

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

BIG NIGHTS FOR JAZ AND ANGEL -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

JAZ GOES FOR 24, ANGEL FOR 20 IN WNBA ACTION

Some huge performances last night in the WNBA for UofL WBB greats !!

LA SPARKS 93 - NEW YORK LIBERTY 78

Jazmine Jones led all scorers with 24 points in the New York Liberty's loss to the LA Sparks in the late game from the "wubble". Jones played 26 minutes in the loss and went 8 for 16 from the floor. Coming in off the bench as the Liberty's back up point guard, she also had five steals and hit all seven of her free throw attempts. 

A slow start for the Liberty proved costly -- falling behind 28-14 after the first quarter of play.

Kylee Shook also saw action for New York, after sitting out the Liberty's previous game with a foot injury. Also coming off the bench, Shook had five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes. 

LAS VEGAS ACES 98 - INDIANA FEVER 79

Angel McCoughtry led the Aces in scoring with 20 points in 22 minutes in the Aces win. She was one of six Aces in double figures, who used a dominating 17-7 fourth quarter to push a nine-point lead to a 19-point win. 

McCoughtry was a sizzling 9-10 from the floor for Las Vegas and hit her only three-point attempt. Usually an excellent performer at the line, Angel went just 1-3, but the Aces got their fifth win in a row and are now 6-2 on the season. 

MINNESOTA 68 - WASHINGTON 48

Myisha Hines Allen went for 12 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Mystics in scoring, but the slumping squad had a disastrous fourth quarter  where they could only come up with four points. Washington took their fifth loss in a row after starting the season 3-0. 

Hines-Allen logged 33 minutes as the starter at center and went 5-10 from the floor. 

CONFERENCES WEIGHING IN ON FALL SPORTS

How crazy was yesterday in news about the Power 5 conferences in the NCAA? 

First we hear that the Big 10 and the PAC 12 have decided not to play fall sports. Then, as last night drew on, reports were coming out that the BIG 12 was leaning toward playing and and an official announcement would be made today (Wednesday)..

Still on the fence with no decision are the ACC and the SEC. The SEC is playing "wait-and-see" and probably won't decide until the end of the month. As far as the ACC goes...

Who Knows?

We'll just have to wait and see. I get tired of hearing that phrase, and I bet you do, too. Unfortunately, that's the crazy, topsy-turvy world of the Power 5 and the NCAA these days. 

WALZ IN COLORADO

No, rumor mongers, he's not out there interviewing for a job. Don't even get that stuff started. 

He and the family taking a bit of vacation time before his youngest daughters start back to school on Monday. 

He did make an internet appearance on the ACCN's Packer and Durham show yesterday morning, though, and here's the interview.

LINK: https://twitter.com/i/status/1293286604904120321

Good stuff, I recommend the listen. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie

  

 

Play or Don't Play -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Play or Don't Play, The Great Debate

(EDITOR NOTE: Today's article expresses opinions from the columnist -- Jared Anderson -- and may not represent the viewpoints of other writers or management here at Cardinal Couple. It is not an official  UofL Athletics stance and the opinions expressed here are his own. Nevertheless, some powerful thoughts and words are expressed here and they are well worth your time to read and digest)

paulie

The debate continues: Play or Don't Play Fall Sports?  The Big Ten made a big decision yesterday by cancelling their fall football season.  They have not made a decision on their other fall sports, but with football going away it's safe to assume all fall sports will head that direction for the Big Ten.

What the rest of the Power Five conferences decide to do will most likely dictate how all schools across the NCAA handle things.  The NCAA has failed to do what it's designed to do- lead and govern.

There has been talk the PAC-12 is also on pace to cancel football and other fall sports while the ACC has been insistent that fall sports will go on with the new schedules.

Hundreds of NCAA student-athletes, mostly football players, have taken to twitter with the hashtag "#LetUsPlay" as the voice their opinion on the season.  Most student-athletes from other sports have gone dead quiet.

So I stepped up and gave them a voice when theirs were silenced.

Football and men's basketball control college athletics.  Nothing goes through without it being in favor of them.  It often leads to the other sports being overshadowed and being silenced.

I posted a lengthy column on Facebook regarding my personal opinion that I shared on twitter and Instagram.  I had quite a few UofL athletes or family members of athletes from the four fall sports that aren't football reach out to me to thank me for sharing it and helping give them a voice.

I won't post the entire thing here, but will summarize what it was.

Fall sports athletes are getting cheated on a true season.  Field hockey, women's soccer, and men's soccer are getting a six-game season while volleyball gets 10.  Last season, at UofL, they played 22 games, 20 games, 20 games, and 32 games respectively.  That isn't fair to have to waste a year of eligibility on, especially if you're a senior.  Don't forget that spring sports played way more games than that and still were able to retain a year of eligibility.

Student-athletes are forced into a "bubble" on campus -- in social aspects -- in hopes to have a season.  We already saw what happens when they break outside of that "bubble" (29 COVID Positive cases from a party).  The student-athletes can't spend time with friends or family members, sacrificing time they could spend with them.  Just because they follow this "bubble" doesn't mean a season is guaranteed.

Many student-athletes have been afraid to voice their opinions because it is different than that of the football player student-athletes.  It also goes against what fans want, and frankly, fans can be rather hostile towards their own players and teams at times.  The student-athletes will be pressured into playing a season whether they feel comfortable doing so or not.

Somebody, somewhere is going to get sick in the mix of players, coaches, trainers, staff, and everyone else involved.  And once someone tied to a program catches COVID-19 it can spread like wildflowers before it can be detected. Witness what is going on with the St. Louis Cardinals these days. 

I want sports just as much as anyone else.  I miss sports and I miss being there taking pictures.  But I'm not about to risk other people's health and safety for something that I want.  We will get sports back... just not yet.

We don't have enough procedures and protection in place right now for everyone involved in the sports realm to have a season.

In my personal opinion I don't think we should have a fall sports season.  That may disagree with other writers and readers on the site but that's why it's my personal opinion.

What's your thoughts: should there be a fall sports season?  Please keep comments civil if you disagree with someone else's thoughts.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared