Volleyball Celebrates Banner Season at Awards Banquet
February 03, 2013 | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 2, 2013
The University of Louisville volleyball celebrated the 2012 season with an award banquet that was, at times, both emotional and hilarious Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at the PNC Club.
Emceed by the Voice of the Cardinals Sean Moth kicked off the banquet with a season highlight video. The video had highlights from the Cardinals unlikely run to the BIG EAST regular season and BIG EAST Tournament Championship as well as their 22nd NCAA appearance.
Three of the four U of L seniors are currently playing professional volleyball overseas, but taped speeches before they left. Tanya Lukyanenko, who will graduate in May was the sole senior on hand and gave a speech as short as her stylish skirt. Kaitlynn James, who is playing in Sweden, was her usual emotional, funny, tearful self as she taped a special thanks for the sports medicine, doctors and trainers who patched her up and got her back on the court after numerous injuries cut her career at Nebraska short. Lola Arslanbekova Skyped in her speech from Puerto Rico where she was enjoying the beaches, the sunshine and the volleyball. She ran through a long list of thank yous, sprinkled with the charm and sly humor that are her trademark. Gwen Rucker, who is playing in Baku, Azerbijian, thanked Coach Kordes for helping her realize her dream of playing pro and getting a degree.
The program then moved to the awards portion of the evening. Alumna Kathie Carman (UofL 1982)presented the GPA Award to Cardinal junior Emily Juhl. Coach Anne Kordes presented the Cardinal Award to Chris Morgan, head of the U of L FCA. Alumna Denise Dzik Ranney (UofL 1985)presented the Alumna of the Year Award to Kelly Gillooly Watts. Kelly, a one-time UofL homecoming queen in the 1990s, after regretting some of her big-haired ways in her past, invited her teammate Michelle Hess Husted to the podium where they led the crowd in their famous "We are Red Hot" cheer.
Coach Kordes then gave a season review speech that soon turned into a comedy routine but ran through a list of heartfelt thank yous.
One of the biggest hits of the evening was a spoof video that Kordes and freshman Katie George taped where George dressed up as Kordes, with Coach's signature red pants and lipstick and pale makeup. Kordes dressed in George's uniform and had replicated George's famous messy ponytail and deep year round tan. They two "interviewed" each other and there were no holds barred that covered everything from Kordes' habit of breaking clipboards to George's ardent Twitter followers.
