“Originally, I wanted to stay close to home, but when I came here, I loved everything about it,” said Foley, who also considered Richmond, Georgetown and Penn State and is a business major. “The coaching staff is probably one of best in the country."
Young coached four years at James Madison and is considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches in Division I.
“It clicked right away," Foley said. "Everybody gets along so well in the community and every
one supports each other. They really make you feel welcome whether you’re an athlete or not.
“At a lot of schools, I could tell the main focus was men’s basketball and football. Here, everyone is treated equally. And they have put so much into the lacrosse program.”
The hard work apparently has paid off for the Cardinals, who move into the Big East next year. This year, most figured they’d struggle, but Foley said the team came together immediately.
“Everyone has improved so much from the fall,” she said. “For me, I have improved my tempo, my shots…honestly, I don’t really keep track of how much I am scoring. I didn’t expect this. I’m really happy with the way everything is going, and we have like eight girls scoring a lot.
Foley said she’ll never forget the first game – despite the fact the weather was miserable.
“It was awesome,” she said. “We had fireworks, cheerleaders, a dance team, smoke coming on the field, and about 800 fans. It was terrible weather – it was snowy and freezing, and people still came out.”
How good is Louisville? Or better yet, the queston is, “How good can the Cards be?”
“I think a couple weeks ago, LaxPower did a poll, ‘How long do you think Louisville will take to be ranked in the Top 20?’ Foley said. “Forty or 50 percent said within the next two years.
“With the progress we are making, if we keep getting better, we all want the wild card spot in the NCAAs. What first-year program is able to be ranked in the Top 20 and makes the NCAAs? It would be amazing.”
The early-season success makes this week’s homecoming even more special for Foley. The Cards begin a six-game, 15-day road trip mostly to Philadelphia and the surrounding area Friday when they play at St. Joseph’s at noon.
They play at La Salle Sunday and at Lafayette Tuesday, at Rutgers on March 14, at Villanova on March 16 and then they wrap up the trip March 21 at Virginia Tech.
The Cards return home March 30 to host No. 9 Georgetown.
“I am really excited because people around home get to watch me,” she said. “I’ll get to play against some girls from around Philadelphia. I am excited to be playing in my home town.”