Long road to nationals is actually a short trip downtown

It has been a long road to the national volleyball tournament for the Kirkwood Eagles.

In a season that actually began with practices in August and saw the team not play a match start until after the first of the year, the long road is going to end with a short trip to downtown Cedar Rapids.

Coach Jill Williams' team earned its seventh trip to the national tournament in her 16 years at Kirkwood with a convincing 25-9, 25-12, 25-16, win over East Central College (13-7) on Saturday afternoon at Johnson Hall.

Ranked No. 5 nationally, the Eagles (18-4) will be a part of the 16-team NJCAA Division II national tournament April 13-15 at the Alliant Energy Power House in Cedar Rapids.

Despite being a heavy favorite to advance, the Eagles did not take anything for granted.

"This was the match for us to get downtown," said Williams. "This is districts and you better be your best. That's who we are. We know we have to bring it every day. You don't get to the promised land by strolling along. We work hard."

Sophomore Anna Gorsich, who was named the most valuable player of the regional tournament, was limited with a leg injury suffered during practice. She played and had a solid match with seven kills, three blocks and four ace serves.

"Before the match, I told one of my assistants that this had to be a freshman day," Williams said. "I felt like Katie and Emily terminated today. 

With Gorsich at less than 100 percent, a pair of freshmen stepped up. Katie Kopriva finished with 14 kills and Emily Strauss was right behind with 13.

"Katie was the kid with the golden arm." Williams said with a smile. "She just couldn't miss."

Kopriva said she felt good right from the start.

"Our setter Rachael (Nelson) was really in system today," said Kopriva. "She just put the ball in the right place and I went up tried to put it somewhere there was an open space. 

"As the match went on, you see other players getting kills, you want to get your own kills too," continued Kopriva. "Everybody was locked in today."

Strauss had an interesting response when asked about freshmen having to step up.

"Honestly, we don't feel like freshmen anymore," she said. "We've been doing this for like 10 months so I think we all feel older than that because we've been working at this for a long, long time."

Not only will the national tournament be in Cedar Rapids, but it will also be at a facility where almost half the Kirkwood roster played state tournament matches at the Alliant Energy Power House.

"I'm pretty excited because the kids we have in our program have experience playing there," Williams said. "That's a great advantage for us knowing what it is like in there.