LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The final championship on the 2022-23 NCAA sports calendar will be decided Monday night at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Florida or Louisiana State will give the Southeastern Conference another national title.
The end of another college season makes this the perfect time for a snapshot on the 21-team (9 men’s and 12 women’s) University of Louisville athletic program. Through April 6, Louisville ranked No. 15 in the nation and fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, which was created to measure the overall success of an athletic program.
From this seat, the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year for the Cardinals was determined early.
The recognition must go to the powerful Cards’ volleyball team and coach Dani Busboom Kelly, whose team advanced to the national championship match for the first time in program history.
Runner-up?
My vote goes to Arthur Albiero for his work with the U of L women’s swimming and diving program. This was Year 20 for Albiero — and he’s certainly leaving his mark. Without the benefit of postcard weather, Albiero has built national contenders with both of his U of L squads. The women excelled in the 2023 NCAA meet.
Here’s a rundown of the season that just concluded.
BASEBALL
Record: 31-24.
ACC Finish: Sixth in the Atlantic Division.
Postseason: Failed to make Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Final Takeaway: Dan McDonnell’s team endured an unexpected off season. After roaring to a 16-1 start, the Cardinals struggled with injuries, inconsistent pitching and sub-par hitting. Expect it to fuel McDonnell and his returning players.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Record: 26-12.
ACC Finish: Tied for fourth with Florida State.
Postseason: Lost to Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament championship game, then advanced to Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament before losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Final Takeaway: Despite early struggles, coach Jeff Walz had his team playing its best basketball at the season’s as the Cards won 7 of their last 10. Walz worked the transfer portal relentlessly after the season, landing five players who averaged double figures at other programs in 2022-23.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, left, looks to pass the ball against Louisville guard Morgan Jones, center, and forward Olivia Cochran during the first half of an Elite 8 college basketball game of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Record: 4-28.
ACC Finish: 15th, last place.
Postseason: Lost to Boston College first round ACC Tournament.
Final Takeaway: Not many highlights. One league win against Georgia Tech, another against Clemson. Seven players entered the transfer portal after the season, allowing coach Kenny Payne to start 2023-24 with a rebuilt, more talented roster. The Cards need to start filling the KFC Yum! Center again, for the health of the entire athletic program.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
ACC Finish: Cards finished 15th, which was last place in the ACC cross country meet.
Postseason: Louisville finished 22nd in the 32-team NCAA Southeast Regional.
Final Takeaway: Change is coming to U of L’s running programs. On June 16, athletic director Josh Heird hired Joe Franklin as the director of track and field and cross country. Franklin comes from the University of New Mexico, where the women’s cross country teams won the national title in 2015 and 2017.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
ACC Finish: Cards finished 12th among 15 teams in ACC cross country meet.
Postseason: Louisville finished 13th in the 32-team NCAA Southeast Regional at Sawyer Park in Louisville.
Final Takeaway: Sophomore Ian Kibiwot was the Cards’ top finisher in all six meets for a team that featured 10 freshmen and sophomores.
FIELD HOCKEY
Record: 12-8.
ACC Finish: Sixth in the 7-team ACC standings with a first-round loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament.
Postseason: Lost to Penn State in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament.
Final Takeaway: The NCAA Tournament was the fourth straight by the program, which was led in scoring by junior Aimee Plumb, who finished with 8 goals and 7 assists.
FOOTBALL
Record: 8-5.
ACC Finish: Tied for third with North Carolina State and Syracuse in ACC Atlantic Division.
Postseason: Defeated Cincinnati, 24-7, at Fenway Bowl in Boston, Mass.
Final Takeway: After a 2-3 start that included a stumble against Boston College, the Cardinals finished strong before coach Scott Satterfield left for Cincinnati, allowing new head coach Jeff Brohm to return home from Purdue.
Louisville's Jawhar Jordan runs for a touchdown during the second quarter of the Fenway Bowl NCAA college football game against Cincinnati at Fenway Park Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
WOMEN’S GOLF
ACC Finish: Tied for 7th in the ACC Tournament.
Postseason: Carmen Griffiths advanced to the NCAA Regional level.
MEN’S GOLF
ACC Finish: Tied for sixth with North Carolina in the 12-team ACC Championship.
Postseason: Tied for 8th at the NCAA Regional in Morgan Hill, California.
Final Takeaway: Jiri Zuska and Sebastian Moss finished in the Top 20 in the regional. Max Kennedy, a junior, earned honorable mention all-American honors from PING.
LACROSSE
Record: 5-12
ACC Finish: 8th in the 10-team ACC standings.
Postseason: Lost to Duke in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Final Takeaway: 19 players made the ACC all-Academic team.
ROWING
ACC Finish: Cards finished seventh in the 9-team ACC championships in Raleigh in May.
Final Takeaway: Caitlin Bentley was voted second-team all-ACC.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Record: 6-8-2
ACC Finish: 10th in the 14-team ACC standings.
Postseason: The Cards did not qualify for the 6-team ACC Tournament.
MEN’S SOCCER
Record: 9-6-3
ACC Finish: Third in the ACC Atlantic Division.
Postseason: Lost to Western Michigan, 2-1 in double overtime, in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Final Takeaway: Cards delivered victories over a pair of Top 10 opponents — Saint Louis and Pittsburgh.
SOFTBALL
Record: 36-20.
ACC Finish: Fourth in the 13-team ACC standings. Lost to Virginia Tech in first round of ACC Tournament.
Postseason: Beat Northern Kentucky, lost to Indiana twice in NCAA Regional in Knoxville, Tenn.
Final takeaway: Cards enjoyed an excellent season, delivering wins over three ranked opponents.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ACC Finish: Louisville placed third in the 12-team ACC championships, trailing Virginia and North Carolina State.
Postseason: The Cards finished fourth, trailing only Virginia, Texas and Stanford at the NCAA meet.
Final Takeaway: Louisville scored the most points (288) in program history, earning 5 first-team all-American spots.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ACC Finish: Cards finished third, behind North Carolina and Virginia Tech, in the 12-team ACC championships.
Postseason: Louisville finished 13th in the NCAA championships in Minneapolis.
Final Takeaway: Sophomore Denis Petrashov earned all-American recognition by finishing third in the 100-meter breaststroke.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Record: 10-15.
ACC Finish: Tied for 13th with Virginia Tech in 14-team ACC.
Postseason: Defeated Boston College before losing to Florida State in ACC championships.
MEN’S TENNIS
Record: 17-12.
ACC Finish: After defeating Notre Dame in the opening round, the Cards lost to Duke in the ACC quarterfinals.
Postseason: Cards defeated Texas Tech before losing to Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
ACC Finish: Ninth in the 15-team ACC championships.
Postseason: Cards finished tied for 63rd, earning a single team point, in the NCAA outdoor championships.
Final Takeaway: Synclair Savage earned first-team all-American status by finishing eighth in the long jump.
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
ACC Finish: Tied for third with Virginia, behind Clemson and Florida State in ACC outdoor championships.
Post-Season: Tied for 32nd with 7 points at. NCAA outdoor meet.
Final Takeaway: Cameron Miller finished eighth in the 200-meter dash, Trey Allen finished tied for fourth in the high jump and the Cards finished sixth in the 4 X 100 relay.
VOLLEYBALL
Record: 31-3.
ACC Finish: At 17-1, tied for first with Pittsburgh.
Postseason: Beat Pitt in the national semifinals before losing to Texas in the championship match.
Final Takeaway: Coach Dani Busboom Kelly has established the Cardinals as a national force. Her program has appeared in back-to-back Final Fours while winning 63 of 67 matches the last two seasons. A national championship is the final step for the Cards.
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