University Of Louisville Athletic

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION IS ORGANIZED TO DEVELOP INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC TEAMS COMPOSED OF STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE AND TO SCHEDULE AND MANAGE INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONTESTS, ALL IN THE HARMONY WITH AND IN SUBJECTION TO THE GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE.

THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (ULAA) ACHIEVED MANY IMPRESSIVE RESULTS DURING ITS 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR. ULAA'S STUDENT ATHLETES EXCELLED ACADEMICALLY PRODUCING A COMBINED AVERAGE GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.0 OR BETTER FOR THE 23RD STRAIGHT SEMESTER. CARDINAL SPORTS TEAMS COLLECTIVELY ACHIEVED AN IMPRESSIVE 3.256 COMBINED GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR THE 2022 SPRING SEMESTER WITH 467 STUDENTS EARNING ATHLETIC DIRECTOR'S HONOR ROLL ACCOLADES (AT LEAST 3.0 SEMESTER GPA). IN RECENT NATIONAL GRADUATION RATES RELEASED BY THE NCAA, ULAA STUDENT-ATHLETES ACHIEVED A RECORD 91 PERCENT GRADUATION RATE TO MATCH THE CARDINALS' BEST MARK IN THE GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE (GSR) REPORT. THE ORGANIZATION AWARDED NEARLY $15 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO OVER 700 STUDENT ATHLETES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. IN TERMS OF COMPETITIVE SPORTS, ULAA PROVIDED MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES TO EXCEL AND BE RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. ALLI BITTING (FIELD HOCKEY), AMAYA TILLMAN (VOLLEYBALL) AND NICK ALBIERO (SWIMMING & DIVING) WERE HONORED AS THE ACC SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS. IN ADDITION, POLE VAULTER GABRIELA LEON WAS THE 2022 ARTHUR ASHE FEMALE SPORTS SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR. ULAA'S ACC CHAMPION VOLLEYBALL TEAM REACHED THEIR FIRST EVER FINAL FOUR, REMAINING UNBEATEN UNTIL FALLING TO THE EVENTUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION. TWO-TIME ACC SETTER OF THE YEAR TORI DILFER AND ANNA STEVENSON WERE NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS AND ANNA DEBEER WAS AN HONORABLE MENTION SELECTION. DANI BUSBOOM KELLY WAS NAMED NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AND WAS THE FIRST WOMAN HEAD COACH TO END THE REGULAR SEASON WITH AN UNDEFEATED RECORD (28-0) IN D1 VOLLEYBALL HISTORY. WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD CAPTURED ITS FOURTH NCAA NATIONAL INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION IN SCHOOL HISTORY AS GABRIELA LEON WON THE NCAA OUTDOOR POLE VAULT NATIONAL TITLE. ULAA'S ALL-GIRL CHEERLEADING TEAM WON ITS EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE AND 18TH OVERALL NATIONAL CHEER ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP AND ITS SMALL CO-ED TEAM WON ITS 12TH NATIONAL TITLE. THE CARDINALS' LARGE CO-ED EARNED A THIRD-PLACE FINISH WHILE UOFL'S LADYBIRDS DANCE TEAM WAS FOURTH IN TEAM PERFORMANCE AND SECOND IN THE HIP HOP COMPETITION. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINISHED WITH A 29-5 OVERALL RECORD AND ADVANCED TO THE FOURTH FINAL FOUR IN PROGRAM HISTORY. EMILY ENGSTLER EARNED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA HONORS AND WAS DRAFTED FOURTH OVERALL IN THE WNBA DRAFT BY THE INDIANA FEVER. BASEBALL CAPTURED ITS FIFTH ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION CROWN IN SEVEN FULL SEASONS IN THE LEAGUE AND REACHED A SUPER REGIONAL FOR THE NINTH TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY. FIVE CARDINALS WERE SELECTED IN THE 2022 MLB DRAFT AND TWO OTHERS SIGNED FREE AGENT CONTRACTS. FIELD HOCKEY FINISHED WITH A PERFECT 6-0 RECORD IN ACC PLAY ON ITS WAY TO THE 2021 ACC REGULAR SEASON TITLE. THE CARDINALS MATCHED A SCHOOL RECORD WITH 16 WINS AND REACHED THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR THE 10TH TIME. MEN'S SOCCER HAD AN OUTSTANDING 2021 SEASON, CAPTURING THE PROGRAM'S FIRST ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION TITLE AND WAS BACK IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR THE 13TH TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY. PEDRO FONSECA WAS SELECTED BY REAL SALT LAKE IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE MLS SUPERDRAFT, THE 26TH SELECTION FROM LOUISVILLE ALL-TIME. SWIMMING AND DIVING TURNED IN ANOTHER STRONG SEASON WITH THE WOMEN TAKING SIXTH AND THE MEN 12TH AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP. NICK ALBIERO WAS NAMED THE ACC SWIMMER OF THE YEAR AND ACC SCHOLAR ATHLETIC OF THE YEAR.