'Seattle roots': Louisville WBB excited for reunions — and apple juice — in NCAA Sweet 16
Louisville expects to have a home court advantage when it faces eighth-seeded Ole Miss in Seattle on Friday night.
The NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game will be a homecoming of sorts for junior guard and Washington native Hailey Van Lith and junior forward Olivia Cochran, who was born in Seattle.
“We have some Seattle roots going on here,” U of L sophomore guard Merissah Russell said. “Hopefully everybody can show up in that red. People are gonna be surprised about how many fans we have down there just because of this girl (Van Lith).”
Van Lith grew up about 150 miles east of Seattle in Wenatchee, Washington. Three years ago in the city of Yakima, southeast of Seattle, she played her final high school basketball game for Cashmere, scoring 27 points in a loss in the WIAA state championship.
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“I haven't been to see my family in a while,” Van Lith said. “A lot of my grandparents have suffered from some illnesses lately, so they haven't been able to travel and watch me play. Just getting to play in front of those people in my hometown is going to be really special for me and it's really important for my parents, too, getting to bring me back home.”
Cochran, who spent the first three years of her life in Seattle before moving to Georgia, said she still has some family in the city. And her mother will be making the trip.
“I don't even remember half of the things that was going on there, but I'm very excited to go back,” Cochran said. “It's gonna be exciting, though. I'm ready.”
But there's another treat for the fifth-seeded Cardinals awaiting them in Seattle — apple juice.
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The Cardinals have become big fans of Tree Top apple juice ever since they played the University of Washington in Seattle last season.
Van Lith’s family made the nearly two-and-a-half-hour drive to see the Cardinals beat the Huskies 61-53, and her mother gave the team bottles of the apple juice before their win. It was an instant hit.
Cochran said she had “four or five” bottles and plans to bring a case back to Louisville following this week's trip to Seattle.
“Me and Merissah talked about it before the game (against Texas),” fifth-year guard Mykasa Robinson said. “We're like, 'Listen, we need to win. We got to get to that apple juice.'”
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U of L routed Texas 71-53 on Monday in Austin, Texas, to earn its Sweet 16 berth, a trip to Seattle and more Tree Top apple juice.
According to the Northwest Horticultural Council, Washington produces 90% of the nation’s organic apple crop, with Gala apples making up 19.5% of that. The fruit was named Washington’s state symbol in 1989 to celebrate the state's 100th year in the union.
“It’s elite,” Van Lith said. “I'm not a big juice person. I wouldn't say it's my favorite. I just know it's fire and my teammates (are) juice people.”
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The Van Liths will be back in full force this weekend when the Cards and Rebels tip at 10 p.m. ET Friday at Climate Pledge Arena. Win, and U of L will face either No. 2 seed Iowa or No. 6 seed Colorado in the Elite Eight on Sunday in Seattle.
Van Lith's parents, brother, sister and grandparents were given tickets from her allotment that is provided as a player. But more family and friends are expected to be in attendance. And Van Lith’s mom is expected to come through again with the juice.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Seattle: Homecoming for Louisville basketball
