University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA Pre-Tournament Quotes
12/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
2008 Pre-Tournament Quotes
Northern Iowa
Senior Outside Hitter Amy Sampson
On being able to play in an NCAA Tournament in her home state:
“It did not register at first when it popped up on the Selection Show, and then I realized it when my teammates started telling me I was going to get to go home. It is an honor to play in NCAA Tournament, and to have the opportunity to do it in front of friends and family is even that much more special.”
On this year’s regular season:
“We have had a lot of ups and downs this season, like most teams do. We have fought through them, and I think we are playing more as a team at this point in the year. I think how we play as a team will be a key to how we do in the NCAA Tournament.”
On the first meeting with Iowa State and how both of you changed as teams since that point:
“There have definitely been changes in both teams since the first time we played each other in September. We have watched film and tried to be as prepared as we can for this match. I guess we will see when we get on the court, since we are both different teams then we were when we played in the first meeting.”
On the excitement of getting to the tournament in her senior season:
“It is definitely awesome to get the tournament, I did not want to end my career with the loss in the conference tournament championship. It is cool that we get to play in the NCAA Tournament, and I am really excited to get started.”
Head Coach Bobbi Peterson
On playing in Minnesota for the NCAA Tournament again:
“We are excited about being at Minnesota. As coaches we have had a lot of experience in this place, and at one time this was like our second home. It is weird though, because not very many of our kids have played here. It is a great opportunity for us, because it is close enough where a lot of our fans can come to the match. The same thing is true for Iowa State so it should be a good atmosphere tomorrow.
On playing Iowa State for a second time this year:
“It is good to play Iowa State for a second time in the sense that we know about them. However they are a very different team then they were the first time we played them. It is kind of exciting to have an intrastate match like this in the NCAA Tournament.”
On Amy Sampson getting to play in her home state in the NCAA Tournament:
“It is so cool. The funny thing is I promised her mom she would play in Minnesota this year. At one point we had the Border Battle (with Minnesota) scheduled with Minnesota in Rochester but that was cancelled. So I did not make true to my promise, but now I have because it was not that we had to play Minnesota. We just had to play in Minnesota for me to keep the promise. We are excited about that. She deserves it because she has been such a big part of our program the last four seasons.”
On the level of competition your conference has provided this year, and in recent seasons:
“It is a good thing for our conference to have such a high level of competition. We used to have a couple teams that were dominant in the conference, but it has changed a lot and gotten very competitive. It is what you want to get out of conference play. You don’t want a conference where you always roll through unchallenged or are always ahead. We always schedule tough at the beginning to help us prepare to make the NCAA Tournament. We are excited right now, and at this point it is about keeping people healthy and being ready to go on game day.”
Iowa State
Senior Middle Blocker Jen Malcom
On making the NCAA Tournament in her senior year:
“I think it is a good experience to make it for a third time to the NCAA Tournament in my senior season. We are real excited to play Northern Iowa again in an intrastate match again. It should be another good battle.”
On the difference in Iowa State’s team since it played Northern Iowa earlier in the year:
“I think we are more experienced then we were in the first meeting against Northern Iowa. We had a lot of freshman playing at that point. Those players have played more throughout the year. I think we have gotten a lot better then we were at that point in the year, and we feel more prepared to face them this time around.”
On the confidence that making the Regionals last year gives the team heading into this year’s tournament:
“I think the leadership from last year and getting excited and using the energy in a positive way to play well is something we gained from last year’s experience. I think we did that extremely well last year, and that is something we want to help our younger players be prepared to do this year. We just want to give every point our all since there is no tomorrow in this tournament.”
On the momentum Iowa State got at the end of the year, including a win over No. 13 Kansas State:
“I think the Kansas State win helps us carry some momentum into the tournament. We have played some very good teams that we have stuck with all the way through the match. We have had some ups and downs. However, that comes from being young and losing focus sometimes. I think we have come a long ways from where we started, and hopefully we can turn it up to another level in this tournament.”
Head Coach Christy Johnson
On the second meeting with Northern Iowa:
“We are excited to play them again. I think we have a very friendly rivalry with them. We know their coaches well. We also play each other a few times every spring so there are some good friendships there. We are a very different team then the first time we played them in September, even in terms of our lineup. It is going to be a different matchup, because of our lineup changes, who is blocking what hitters and some different things that our team does different then that first match. However, they are a very talented team. They are a very physical team that has a very good block. They blocked us extremely well in the first match, so we will have to make better attack decisions. The serve and pass game was won heavily by them last time. We need to perform better in that aspect this time, if we want to win.”
On last year’s NCAA Regional Appearance:
“I think it builds a lot of confidence. That core group that returns from last year for us, they know what it feels like now to play in that environment. You can go through the year and even the conference, but it is a different feeling once you get to the NCAA Tournament. I think last year’s NCAA Tournament appearance built a lot of confidence in the team. That helped those players prove that we belong with some of the bigger programs, and gave us some legitimacy to believe we can compete with anyone if we play well.”
On how the season has gone this year:
“I do think we have been inconsistent. We have had some great wins and some bad losses, and those have even happened on back-to-back nights. We are young, so sometimes that creates some inconsistency. I think we are playing well at this point. We are pretty athletic and very physical. I think that means if we do play well we are capable of competing with anyone. We are fortunate to be very athletic at every position, and if we are clicking we can be a very good team.”
On proximity of teams and fans in this week’s First and Second Rounds:
“I think it is great. Our match against Northern Iowa tomorrow is great for Iowa volleyball. There is a lot buzz around the match, and a lot of fans that will be able to come to the match and watch it. As much as anything, we are excited to play in this arena. It is a great atmosphere. I coached in the Big Ten for a while, so I know the kind of crowds Minnesota gets and the great atmosphere here at the Sports Pavilion. We know that Minnesota always does a great job of hosting these events. We are lucky we can come and play here in a great arena and a great atmosphere.
North Dakota State
Senior Outside Hitter Kristine Hille:
On making it to the NCAA Tournament as a senior:
“This has been a goal of ours for a couple of seasons now. There is not much more we could ask for then to have the season we have had, and to be playing in the NCAA Tournament in Minnesota. I think it is good to be close to home. We have a big crowd base, and lot of support coming here on Friday. A lot of us grew up in Minnesota, watched the Gophers and always wanted to play in this arena. I think it means a lot and will bring a lot of excitement to tomorrow night.”
On how playing here in 2005 and how things have come full circle:
“It has definitely been a large circle since then. Our program has been constantly changing. We have a completely different team now, a different style and different strategies as well. I think it will be a great way to see how we have changed. We want to show people we can compete at this level.”
On being the first program to make the NCAA Tournament in Division I at North Dakota State:
“It is a great accomplishment. We are all so proud to be part of history at North Dakota State. I think this history will just keep coming. There is going to be so much history made at North Dakota State the next few years. It is great to pave the way, and it will be awesome to what is next in the coming years for North Dakota State.”
On how the team is playing coming into the tournament:
“We broke the season into four different parts that we call “The quarters”. We had preseason, non-conference tournaments, conference play and the conference tournament. Our goal was to continue to improve during each quarter. We never focused on our record or the numbers. We just wanted to keep improving and get better, so we could peak at the right time. I do think some of our best volleyball was played at the Summit League Tournament last week. The goal was to be peaking at the right time in the season, and we want to peak this week.”
Head Coach Erich Hinterstocker
On the excitement of making the program’s first NCAA Tournament:
“The opportunity is a special one for us, because we are the first program at NDSU to go to an NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. This has been a culmination of a lot of people’s effort over the last five or six years. We have done a great job in the transition and have been doing it the right way. All those people and athletes who laid the groundwork for this to be a possibility deserve credit. It is a real special moment for us. We are proud to be here, and we felt like we had a real special season. We are excited to compete against Minnesota tomorrow.”
On playing at Minnesota for the NCAA Tournament:
“This was the regional we felt we probably would be going to when we looked at it. The four teams here we all felt like would be the ones selected in this event. It should make for a really two days of volleyball. To have the opportunity for people to drive here from Fargo, Iowa State and Northern Iowa could really produce a great environment that is special for this site. I think the fan support we will get I am hoping is good. We have 13,000 alumni in the Minneapolis area. We are hoping that, a percentage of them can come out, support us and give us a presence. We will really need to have a presence, because we know Minnesota will have great support. If we can counter that it would be great.”
On the process of this program making it to the NCAA Tournament:
“A lot of it started in 2006 with the five seniors we had. They went through the biggest portion of the transition. This year, we have one senior, Kristen Hille from Sauk Rapids in Minnesota. She experienced a rough year with the team in 2005, but has really been a cornerstone of our program. She has helped demonstrate to the other players what it means to work hard. It does not come easy. A lot of people have followed her lead this year. Kelly Lopez has also been part of the turnaround for us. Those are two young ladies that we are really playing for because they experienced it all in this program. The rest of us have not, me included. Kelly and Kristen have really provided special insight on what the transition is like.”
On how he feels his team is playing coming into the tournament:
“I felt like all year long we had more in the tank. That was exciting, because I did not feel like we were reaching our potential throughout the course of league play. Towards the end I felt like we were starting to get there. There is that element of excitement, and playing in an event that is uncharted waters for us. We have a great mix of talent. We have young kids who have been great contributors, older kids who have been cornerstones of our success and we have a group of sophomores who were thrown into the fire last year and have another year under their belts now. I feel like the balance of our team has been a real positive for us. It is a big reason for our success.”
Minnesota
Mike Hebert
On the teams playing at Minnesota this week:
“All the teams are located so close to each other. It will result in not only a good home crowd for us, but also a lot of support for everyone involved in the tournament. I think it is a great chance for Upper Midwest volleyball to showcase itself, and I think it will be a great two days of volleyball.”
On how the momentum of the season has gone:
“I think we started off playing better then we thought we would earlier in the year, so everyone was happy and excited. I think we begin to feel comfortable, and maybe got a little complacent at times. We had a stretch where we lost to Penn State, Michigan and Indiana on the road, but I thought we rebounded very well from that. I think losing Brook (Dieter) to injury gave us a look at ourselves that we probably would not have had otherwise. I think the team likes what it sees. We would obviously love to have Brook back, but I think we have done a good job of playing well since she has been out.”
On what it means to host the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004:
“It means an awful lot. There are obvious things like being home, being comfortable, sleeping in your own bed and all the other things that come with being at home. However, I think more then anything else it is great because our seniors have worked so hard to achieve this. To finally be able to play in front of a home crowd in the NCAA Tournament is something I am not sure I realized how much it meant to them until it happened. They have let me know in great detail this past week in practice how much it means to them.”
On the familiarity of the teams playing in Minnesota this week:
“This group has a lot of familiarity to it. I think all four of us were at a tournament in the spring, and we all played each other at some point during the spring season. We all feel like we know each other. There are great friendly rivalries between these programs. There are also a lot of connections to Minnesota with all these teams and it should be a fun time.”
Rachel Hartmann
On finally getting to host an NCAA Tournament:
“It is very exciting right now to walk into the gym and see all the NCAA banners. It is great to know we don’t have to go to another gym, and we get to be at home and play at the Sports Pavilion in front of our great fans. We have worked very hard for it, I feel like we deserve to host and we are happy to get the chance this year.”
On how the team felt on “Selection Sunday:
“I think it taught us to not get our hopes up during the Selection Show in the past. In the past, we saw the names, and kept expectations low about getting to host. It surprised us in the end this year, and that meant a lot to us.”
On team’s momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament:
“I think we have a lot of momentum right now. Brook has been hurt, but I think we have a had a lot of people step up and show that we still have the chemistry on the court to succeed even when a big piece is missing. In the past, when that has happened that has not always been the case. I think we are playing real well right now. The Penn State matches were our main bump in the road, and obviously they are playing at a real high level this year. I think it helped this year that we never slumped. It has helped us coming in with a great mental approach heading into the tournament.”
