louisville

One of the major highlights of the season will be a much-anticipated in-state rivalry meet against the University of Kentucky. This exciting showdown is set to take place on January 27th at noon at the Ralph Wright Natatorium.

Originally, the Cardinals were set to have a doubleheader against both Lipscomb and EKU. However, due to unfortunate weather conditions, Lipscomb will no longer be able to make the trip.

With this win, Louisville remains the only undefeated team in conference play, boasting a perfect 5-0 record. Not only have they been dominant at home, but they have also been exceptional on the road with a 3-0 record in conference play. No other team in the ACC can claim this undefeated road record.

This will be the third consecutive home meet for the Cardinals as they kick off their season. Last weekend, they showcased their talents at the Rod McCravy Memorial.

Head coach Rodrigo da Silva expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “It’s great to start the season with two wins. I’m really proud of the guys and how they competed, especially the freshmen who were playing in their first matches today. Hopefully, we can build on today’s success and continue our momentum into the upcoming matches.”

In the sprints and hurdles events, junior Victoria Perrow impressed by qualifying for the 60M final and finishing second with a time of 7.37 seconds. Freshman Troy Lane also showed promise, qualifying for the 60M final alongside junior Clinton Muunga, and ultimately placing second with a time of 6.78 seconds.

Among the teams joining Kentucky are Alabama State, Butler, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Howard, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Ohio State, Texas, and Tulane. It promises to be a fierce and exciting competition with top talent from each participating school.

In securing the top spot on the podium, Herkle posted times of 1:00.52, 2:09.82, and 4:12.72 in the 100 breast, 200 breast, and 400 IM, respectively. These times currently rank in the top 50, top 30, and top 35 in the nation.

Louisville is coming off an exciting 77-72 road victory against Miami in their ACC opener on New Year’s Eve. This win extended their perfect record in ACC openers to 10-0 since joining the league in 2014-15. It also snapped Miami’s 17-game home winning streak. Jayda Curry and Merissah Russell played pivotal roles in this victory, with Curry leading the team with a season-high 19 points and Russell scoring 11-straight points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Kiki Jefferson also reached a milestone in the game, surpassing 2,000 career points.

This was Louisville’s first appearance in the Holiday Bowl and their first matchup against Southern California. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure the victory. The team’s neutral site game record now stands at 17-17-1.