Weekend schedules for women's athletics

(Cardinal Couple staff columnist Jenny O' Bryan brings us the Wednesday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE with a weekend update on wherre and when the various UofL women's sports teams will be participating. Looks like a great weekend for softball and Sandy Pearsall's sluggers are coming off a great season. See ya at Ulmer!) 


It is a quiet week for women’s athletics.  No scores to report. 

Of particular interest this upcoming weekend is the first of two weekends of Fall Ball for the Softball team.   Coming off of the best record in school history, 55-5, the team will take to the filed for two games Friday, against Bellarmine at 5:00p.m. and again at 9:00 p.m. against Eastern Kentucky.  (Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky will play each other at 7:00 p.m.).   You can find them again on the field Sunday at 2:00 p.m. against Murray State. 

One final weekend of play will be Saturday, October 6 when the team will play a double header against Bellarmine and Tennessee State, respectively. 

The team returns 7 starters and 12 letter winners from last season’s Big East Champions.   It is a short window of opportunity to get a sneak peak of the team we will see again next spring.  Find your way down to Ulmer Stadium this weekend and support your SoftballCards. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

You can find the Cross Country team at the Greater Louisville Classic at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park on Saturday at 9:30:a.m.

Swimming and Diving opens the season this weekend at Ralph Wright Natatorium on Friday at 3:00 p.m. with an Intersquad Meet. 

All other teams are on the road:

Field Hockey hits the road to face Syracuse and Albany Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Soccer is on the road on Friday and Sunday to face Marquette and USF.

Volleyball looks to return to their winning ways away from home while facing USF on Friday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. 

Safe travels to the teams on the road, and to all the athletes competing this weekend, Card Hard!

(Due to techincal problems, we are currently unable to add pictures to our writers' columns. The writers' can still do this, but we can't go in after the fact and add photos to their columns. Most of you will probably be happy about this. Sometimes life is so unfair...)
.
..
...

Louisville WBB @ Syracuse Tonight

WEDNESDAY (Oh, yeah!) as seen by CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards go to the 'Cuse.

-Hillsman fights a battle of his own.

-Golf keeps swinging

-Honors for Grieshaber

-Another conflict..
.
Kayla Alexander, shown above, leads the Syracuse Orange in scoring and rebounding. The Orange get a visit from the University of Louisville women's basketball team tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Unfortunately, the University of Louisville's men team plays at the same time on ESPN ....so it's one of those listen to the ladies and watch the guys nights for those of you who like both...
.
Syracuse (17-7, 5-6) is the best rebounding team in the Big East. Besides Alexander, the 'Cuse get plenty of paint proficiency from Iasia Hemingway, Elashier Hall and Erica Morrow...who also score in double figures. The Orange enter the game fresh off a 70-49 drubbing of Villanova, a win that stopped a three game losing streak. Syracuse rolled through the pre BIG EAST part of their schedule 12-1...losing only to Baylor. Since conference began, they've taken losses against Georgetown, WVU, Rutgers (twice), Notre Dame and DePaul. Notable wins have come against Clemson and Marquette.
.
Louisville comes into tonight's game on a two game win streak and begins a two game road trip. Monique Reid is expected to play tonight...the junior sprained an ankle Sunday before the WVU game and sat out 32 minutes of the contest. Reid leads Louisville in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Shoni Schimmel follows with 15.6 a contest. Schimmel leads the BIG EAST in 3-point field goals made with 68 and freshman teammate Nita Slaughter is tops in conference with a 3-point % of .431 (25-58).
.
The Cards success behind the 3-point stripe could play a significant role in tonight's contest. Louisville faces tough sledding around the rim tonight and a successful 3-point barrage would not only draw the 'Cuse away from the hoop defensively..it would also put a bunch of points on the board. Let's hope the Orange get 'Schimmeled'
.
We'll have a recap of the game later tonight. No TV for this one...WKRD CARDS RADIO 790 AM and 101.7 FM will have the radio broadcast. Paul and Jim (no...not me and my older brother) will have the words and music.

*********************************

Quentin Hillsman (pictured left) is fighting another battle in addition to
the one he faces on the court as Syracuse head women's basketball coach. Former Syracuse women's basketball player Lynnae Lampkins has brought a Title IX sexual harassment complaint against Hillsman and the Syracuse women's basketball program.

Lampkins, a junior who no longer plays on the team, accuses Hillsman of inappropriate texting and touching. She did not rejoin the team this year because "I couldn't be around him. He would slap butts and chest bump. I was very uncomfortable with it."

She also testifies that Hillsman sent her a text over the summer that read "I love you, I miss you, I can't wait to see you." She wasn't aware of any other Syracuse players receiving such a text.
.

Hillsman denies the accusations. He considers them untrue and hurtful to him, his family and the Syracuse women's basketball program but is trying to prevent it from distracting the program and the players. (Excuse me..but this is typical coach-speak out of 'Meeting the media' 101). After the allegations came out during last summer, Syracuse used outside council to do a investigation. The investigation team reported that they found no substance to the allegations and no basis for action to be taken. Syracuse's president, chancellor and athletic director have all come out with statements showing support for Hillman. Lampkins remains on campus, still on scholarship and is majoring in health and wellness. It's funny how outside council hired by an academic body to investigate the hiring entity almost never sides against who is signing the paycheck.
.
Cover up, collusion and denial mode? Or just a player disgruntled with conditions and the daughter of a high school coach who has filed two previous incident claims over the last six years...a defamation suit and conflict of interest charge in Upper Marlboro, MD. Things getting crazy up in Boeheim-ville, yo! No other 'Cuse players are talking about it and it hasn't gotten the coverage of the Pitino/Sypher mess Louisville has had to endure for almost a year now.
.
WE at Cardinal Couple still remember Hillsman storming off the court in 2009 at Freedom Hall after a heated discussion and finger pointing at Jeff Walz following a 78-57 Louisville win...and then making some unflattering gestures to Lady Card fans during his exit. Last year, Hillsman appeared to pass out near the end of Louisville's 64-58 loss to the Orange. The guy has a flair for the dramatics...for sure. Whatcha got in store for tonight, Q?
.
***************************************************************************************

Louisville's womens golf team completed day two in the Northrop Grumman Regional and moved up the ladder to 10th place. UCLA, USC and Pepperdine hold the top three spots. Anna-Karin Ljungstrom fired a 72 for the Cards and is tied for 29th. Sara-Maude Juneau carded a 73 and is tied for 27th. Maria Castellanos toured the Palos Verdes Golf Course with an 80. Laura Anderson finished at 84 and Candace Wiley shot an 84 also. Freshman Tara Lyons, playing as an individual, did 18 in 82.

The five-iron Cards finish up play this morning.
.
************************************************************************************* .
.
A big congratulations to cross country's Kim Grieshaber for earning All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. She led the Cards to a top 15 finish last fall in the NCAA Regionals and was the top finisher for Louisville in five out of their six races. Getting it done in the classroom and on the competition course...we salute you, Kim!
.
*************************************************************************************
.
WE don't know about you...but we're not overly happy that the men and women play tonight at the same time. WE know a lot of our readers cheer for and follow both squads and one would think that the BIG EAST scheduling folks could avoid such snafu situations. The guys are in Cincinnati tonight...on ESPN...
.
WE'RE not big fans of trying to follow both teams at the same time. At least both are on the road, so WE don't have to decide whether to attend one and catch up on the other afterward. It's the seventh time this year that both teams have played on the same day.
.
Paul had this brilliant idea last night (a first for him) that same day game conflicts could be avoided by designating a specific night or weekend day for the two sports. Let's say men's hoops on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Women's hoops on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Leave Friday alone and go out and support the high school teams in your area...because a lot of them play on Friday nights. The plan is a good one...but it would never fly past the guys holding the puppet strings over college hoops...ESPN and the other networks that televise college basketball.
.
Reminds us of the old joke...'I control the destiny and fate of my actions and doings...as long as it's OK with you, dear..."

Busy weekend for UofL women's sports

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND!



SATURDAY EDITION: CARDINAL COUPLE



-Soccer goes down to Pitt

-Women's tennis in Hokie Fall Invitational

-Greater Louisville Classic for Cross Country

-Volley Cards sweep UConn

-Field Hockey ready for the Huskies

It's a busy weekend for the UofL women's sports program, so lace up those low tops, get hydrated and let's jump right in and consider it "game on".

Tough loss for Karen Ferguson Dayes' soccer Cards in Cardinal Park Friday night against the Panthers. Louisville fell to 8-3 with a 2-0 defeat...losing for the first time in school history to Pitt.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first half when they were awarded a penalty kick and Liz Carroll found the net. The Cards seemingly outplayed Pitt in the first half...holding an advantage in shots and corner kicks...but could not find the net.

Pitt finished the scoring in the second stanza when Christina Nicassio booted one in directly in front of the Louisville goal following a set up pass from Abby Baldys.

Louisville returns to action Sunday vs. WVU in Cardinal Park. game time is 1 p.m.

**********************************************************************************

Volleyball blanked home standing UConn 3-0 Friday night behind the strong arm of Tanya Lukyanenko. She muscled 12 kills past the Huskies and Louisville cruised to 25-21, 25-11 and 25-12 game victories.

Blocking and defense contributed to the sweep as well. Gwen Rucker and Anastasia Artemeva secured six blocks for Leonid Yelin's squad.

The Cards never trailed in any of the three games against the Huskies and recorded an impressive .378 in hits...holding the Connecticut team to just .021

***********************************************************************************

Women's tennis participates in the Hokie Fall Invitational in Blacksburg, VA. this weekend. The event features 12 teams and Louisville will expect big things out of Sarah Miller, Becca Shine, Mandy Brown, Julie Fellerhoff and Ameila Harris.

The Cards come off an impressive showing against Michigan State last week...when Miller and Shine won doubles competition and Brown and Fellerhoff gained runner up honors in doubles as well.

The participants for the three day event look like a Rick Pitino pre-season basketball schedule. James Madison, UNC Wilmington, Radford, ETSU, Marshall, Winthorp, Davidson, William and Mary, Liberty, Virginia Tech and UM-Baltimore County compete along with the Cards.

***********************************************************************************

Both Cross Country squads hosts the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday. A whopping 97 schools will contest the course at E.P. 'Tom' Sawyer Park. The Lady Card runners will hope to score well with Kim Grieshaber who finished second in the Navy Invitational. Both Monica Hernandez and Emily Borsare also finished in the top 12 at Annapolis.

They'll test the 5,000 meter course at Saywer. The event is the largest cross country collegiate meet south of the Mason-Dixon line. They hit the line at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday.

***********************************************************************************

Field Hockey tussles with Connecticut Saturday at noon in Trager Stadium. The #10 Cards went thru a brisk workout Thursday and we were on site to watch the ladies go thru the paces. Pam Bustin and her staff keep the girls on the go with shooting and passing drills. They try situational offensive scoring drills from both sides of the field and Bustin closely monitors the action, stopping play from time to time to point out strategies and suggestions for attack opportunities.

Watching Louisville practice with me was assistant women's SID Lori Korte. As we watched the Cards go thru the paces I had the chance to talk to Korte and found out that she is a long time Louisvillian, spending her college days at Bellarmine and coaching at Holy Cross before joining the Cardinal sports information staff.

Also busy on the field was Louisville sports performance director guru Carol Banda. She kept to a brisk pace... keeping the players hydrated, watching for any injuries and monitoring the action.

The old adage is "you play like you practice." If Thursday's work is any indication of how the Cards will do against the Huskies...Louisville looks in real good shape to win on Saturday.

Volleyball falls to Illinois

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Volleyball against the Illini

-Grieshaber finishes second

-Football Cards: Shoulda been...

Charlie Strong (pictured right) appears to be a bit disgruntled...maybe it was the pre-game meal? Stick with Panera Bread next time, coach.

We'll have some observations on the Cards 35-28 loss at Oregon State at the end of this column. Meanwhile, let's talk women's sports... (photo by H. Lindsey/Cardinal Sports.com)

The University of Louisville women's volleyball team gave a good effort yesterday against #5 Illinois but lost the match 22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-18. Louisville looked ready to pull the upset early on, winning the first game by three...thanks to the play of Emily Juhl. The freshman had five kills and the Cards finished strong in the opener with three of the final four points.

Illinois regrouped, though, and swept the remaining three games. Besides Juhl, Lola Arslanbeckova, Anastasia Artemeva and Amanda Simmons played well for the Cards. Arslanbeckova and Artemeva finished with 12 kills each. Louisville (5-4) placed Simmons on the All-Tournament team.

Tough competition on both Friday and Saturday that will undoubtedly help the Cards as they prepare for the BIG EAST schedule. Leonid Yelin's young team has shown flashes of being a top 25 caliber squad and will only get better with each game...learning and improving as they've gone thru a murderous pre-conference slate of matches.

*******************************************************************************************

Kim Grieshaber finished second in the Navy Invitational cross country event in Annapolis Saturday. The UofL women finished fifth out of the nine teams participating in the meet. Louisville's men's team did very well...finishing second...just three point back of Navy.

Grieshaber was only seven seconds behind the winner and the Cards placed three runners in the top eleven. The Cards return to action in two weeks...hosting the Greater Louisville Classic at Sawyer Park in eastern Jefferson County.

********************************************************************************************

A big time comeback got Louisville within seven points of the Oregon State Beavers in football action Saturday but it was the start of the game that actually did the Cards in. Two blown scoring opportunities in the first quarter had Cardinal fans watching the game at Tailgaters Bar and Restaurant ready to tear their hair out yesterday. A yard short on a fourth and two run by Bilal Powell deep in Beaver territory and a wacky sequence a few minutes later when Louisville QB Adam Froman appeared to run one in for a touchdown but had the ball poked out of his grasp as he reached the end zone. Out of bounds, a touchback and Oregon State ball at the 20.

I'm not Charlie Strong...nor would I ever pretend that have better judgement than him...but you take the field goal and get the lead during that first drive....in my opinion.

The Cards rolled back from a 21 point deficit early in the third quarter and had a chance to tie it late but Froman threw one right into the paws of a Beaver defensive back.

This very well may have been the toughest opponent Louisville will face this year. These Cards will be just fine and this writer can see UofL winning the next four.

As for Charlie...enough can't be said. A Steve Kragthorpe team would have thrown in the towel and gone thru the motions down by 21. This team, with this leader, was moving late in the game to send it to overtime...shocking the 45,000 in attendance.

Tom Cahill, in attendance at Tailgaters to view the televised match, summed it up perfectly when he said:

"Nobody gave Louisville a chance before the game. They should have won this thing at least by three. Louisville may have lost the game...but they won the hearts and minds of every Cardinal fan out there tonight...including me."