Senior forward Hailey Stenberg and the rest of the women's soccer team are headed to the NCAA Tournament. Before she heads out to Texas, we discussed her excitement about the opportunity, the season overall, and her growth over her time at Pepperdine:

Q: The team learned you made it to the NCAA Tournament. What was your initial reaction to that?

A: Honestly, just pure joy and happiness because last year we all felt so snubbed for not getting in. That was a big heartbreak, so to get in this time was so relieving and so happy. They also left it to the last bracket and so much anxiety was getting built up around it, but when we heard our name, we were just so excited.

Q: You'll be playing Texas Tech. You've played them the last two years, so what are you anticipating the game to be like?

A: Honestly, it's going to be a really great game. They are a really great team. We've played them twice. One time we've beat them, and the other time, they beat us, so it's a very even match. They've done really well this season, but so have we. It really should be a good game.

Q: What is your mindset going into the tournament?

A: Honestly, just one game at a time. Right now, we have to focus on Texas Tech, prepare for that, and do what we need to do to be ready for that. Just go in thinking, "it's just another game." Just trying to not make it bigger than it actually is.

Q: What are your thoughts on the season as a whole?

A: We've had some incredible moments, moments that I'll never forget, but I also think we've learned a lot as a team. This is a fairly young team with not too many seniors, so we definitely learned a lot. I think we've just kept growing since the beginning.

Q: What are some standout moments the team has had this year?

A: Definitely, my number one moment was the win against Stanford, which is just crazy. To know that we're their only loss is something that's insane. I just think some moments of battling back, coming back from behind, or playing some really big schools that we may not get to play every single year was super special. Having the preseason that we did was really cool.

Q: This is your third NCAA Tournament in your four years here. Do you feel like you know what to expect or are there still some nerves?

A: I think there's always some nerves just because it is the tournament. It's such a big deal. It's something everyone hopes to get into, but since it is my third, I feel like I can get my emotions under control a little bit faster and easier just because I do know what to expect. I think playing Texas Tech, a team we've played before, will be nice to be able to just focus on the game; there won't be too many emotions of something new or playing a new team.

Q: Your college career is coming to an end. What do you hope to accomplish?

A: We had our senior day already, and that was so emotional. I think now just having a new opportunity to keep playing is something that is super exciting. It's definitely bittersweet, but I'm enjoying it still.

Q: Thinking back to your freshman year, how have you grown as an athlete and a person during your time here?

A: Oh my gosh, so much. I am not the same person I was my freshman year, but in the best way. I think being a part of Pepperdine soccer has helped me grow into somebody I never knew I could be both on and off the field. The coaches have helped push me, but also just working on myself. Soccer wise, you come in with some expectations, but you also have no idea what's going to happen. Now being at the end of my career, I wouldn't take anything back. I wouldn't want to redo anything because everything happened for a reason.