season opener

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.

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.”

This season, the Cardinals will play a total of 16 matches at home. The team’s roster is a mix of both experienced players and newcomers. Returning doubles All-American Natan Rodrigues and ranked singles player Etienne Donnet will provide a strong foundation for the team. Will Mayew and Matthew Fung, both ranked in the ITA Singles Top 60, along with Andre’ Steinbach, will also be returning for the Cardinals.

The standout performer of the game was freshman Rob Dillingham, who led all scorers with an impressive 17 points. Fellow freshman guard D.J. Wagner also had a solid performance, contributing 13 points. Additionally, freshmen Justin Edwards and Reed Sheppard each scored 12 points, while senior Antonio Reeves added 11 points to the scoreboard.

The Cardinals had contributions from nearly the entire team, with 10 players getting on the scoresheet. Sydney Taylor led the way with 16 points, while Jayda Curry made an impressive regular season debut with 13 points. Olivia Cochran was a force on the boards, collecting a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points and three assists. Elif Istanbulluoglu and Kiki Jefferson also made strong collegiate debuts, scoring seven and nine points respectively.

In a commanding display of skill and athleticism, the Louisville Cardinals emerged victorious in their season opener against the Cincinnati Bearcats, with a final score of 77-59. The game took place on November 6, 2023, at the Fifth Third Arena, with a crowd of 1,725 spectators in attendance. The Cardinals’ head coach, Jeff Walz, proved once again why his team is a force to be reckoned with, as they secured their 14th win in season openers under his leadership.

In their two exhibition games, the Cardinals had mixed results, with a dominant 91-50 victory over Simmons College but a narrow 71-68 defeat to Kentucky Wesleyan. Meanwhile, UMBC had a strong showing last season with an 18-14 record but fell to Fordham 79-75 in their lone exhibition game this year. This will be the first meeting between Louisville and the Retrievers, making UMBC the only new opponent on the Cardinals’ schedule for this season.