Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Louisville Ranked No. 5 in NFHCA Preseason Coaches Poll
August 24, 2021 | Field Hockey
The University of Louisville field hockey team stands at No. 5 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Preseason Coaches poll which was released by the organization today.
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Louisville in the NFHCA Rankings
• This marks the ninth straight week that Louisville has been ranked among the top five in the nation. Last season, the Cardinals spent all seven weeks in the top five after debuting at No. 2 – the highest ranking in program history – on March 16, 2021. After spending two weeks in that slot, UofL remained in the top five throughout the rest of the season, finishing the year at No. 5. The Cardinals also concluded the 2019 campaign at No. 5.
• The Cards have been ranked among the top 10 for the last 20 weeks spanning back to the 2019 season when they appeared at No. 8 on Sept. 10.
 • Louisville has now spent 85 straight weeks in the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.
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The ACC in the rankings
• All seven ACC teams appear in the top 14 with three-time defending national champion North Carolina holding down the top spot. In addition to Louisville, the ACC holds four of the top 10 spots with Boston College standing at No. 7 and Virginia at No. 8. Wake Forest and Duke are just outside the top 10 weight in at Nos. 11 and 12 respectively while Syracuse sits at No. 14.
Tough Slate
• Fourteen of the Cardinals' 18 opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the NFHCA preseason poll. In addition to its six ACC opponents, UofL will also take on No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Iowa, No. 10 Liberty, No. 13 Princeton, No. 16 Penn State, No. 21 Miami (Ohio), No. 22 Ohio State and No. 24 James Madison.
About Louisville Field Hockey
• The Cardinals will open the 2021 season this weekend when they play host to Ohio University on Friday at 3 p.m. followed by a Sunday matchup against New Hampshire at 2 p.m.
• The Cardinals return 18 players including nine starters from last season's NCAA Final Four squad. The 2021 roster includes five seniors and features two-time All-American Alli Bitting along with NFHCA All-West Region selections: Charlie van Oirschot, Aimee Plumb and Julie Kouijzer. Louisville also welcomes six newcomers to the 2021 team.
• UofL finished the 2020-21 season with a 14-6 overall record and ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches' poll and reached the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cards won the ACC regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament after producing a 5-1 record which included a win over two-time defending national champion North Carolina, snapping the Tar Heels' NCAA-best 47-game win streak. Louisville posted a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
• UofL earned the overall No. 3 seed in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament, marking the second straight season as a national seed, and went on to beat No. 6 UConn in the quarterfinals to advance to its first NCAA semifinal. Competing in their first-ever Final Four, the Cardinals battled with the No. 2 seed Michigan but eventually fell 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.
• Justine Sowry is entering her 11th season at the helm. During her time at Louisville, she has guided the Cardinals to 136 wins, six NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the quarterfinals twice, and advancing to the semifinals for the first time in program history in the 2020-21 season.Â
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Louisville in the NFHCA Rankings
• This marks the ninth straight week that Louisville has been ranked among the top five in the nation. Last season, the Cardinals spent all seven weeks in the top five after debuting at No. 2 – the highest ranking in program history – on March 16, 2021. After spending two weeks in that slot, UofL remained in the top five throughout the rest of the season, finishing the year at No. 5. The Cardinals also concluded the 2019 campaign at No. 5.
• The Cards have been ranked among the top 10 for the last 20 weeks spanning back to the 2019 season when they appeared at No. 8 on Sept. 10.
 • Louisville has now spent 85 straight weeks in the top 20 in the nation dating back to the 2013 season.
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The ACC in the rankings
• All seven ACC teams appear in the top 14 with three-time defending national champion North Carolina holding down the top spot. In addition to Louisville, the ACC holds four of the top 10 spots with Boston College standing at No. 7 and Virginia at No. 8. Wake Forest and Duke are just outside the top 10 weight in at Nos. 11 and 12 respectively while Syracuse sits at No. 14.
Tough Slate
• Fourteen of the Cardinals' 18 opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the NFHCA preseason poll. In addition to its six ACC opponents, UofL will also take on No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Iowa, No. 10 Liberty, No. 13 Princeton, No. 16 Penn State, No. 21 Miami (Ohio), No. 22 Ohio State and No. 24 James Madison.
About Louisville Field Hockey
• The Cardinals will open the 2021 season this weekend when they play host to Ohio University on Friday at 3 p.m. followed by a Sunday matchup against New Hampshire at 2 p.m.
• The Cardinals return 18 players including nine starters from last season's NCAA Final Four squad. The 2021 roster includes five seniors and features two-time All-American Alli Bitting along with NFHCA All-West Region selections: Charlie van Oirschot, Aimee Plumb and Julie Kouijzer. Louisville also welcomes six newcomers to the 2021 team.
• UofL finished the 2020-21 season with a 14-6 overall record and ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches' poll and reached the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cards won the ACC regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament after producing a 5-1 record which included a win over two-time defending national champion North Carolina, snapping the Tar Heels' NCAA-best 47-game win streak. Louisville posted a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
• UofL earned the overall No. 3 seed in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament, marking the second straight season as a national seed, and went on to beat No. 6 UConn in the quarterfinals to advance to its first NCAA semifinal. Competing in their first-ever Final Four, the Cardinals battled with the No. 2 seed Michigan but eventually fell 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.
• Justine Sowry is entering her 11th season at the helm. During her time at Louisville, she has guided the Cardinals to 136 wins, six NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the quarterfinals twice, and advancing to the semifinals for the first time in program history in the 2020-21 season.Â
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Players Mentioned
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