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NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONALS: AUSTIN

December 10, 2016

Austin, Texas

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Creighton. We have head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. Student-athletes Lauren Smith and Lydia Dimke. We'll start off with a statement from the head coach, and then we'll take questions for the coach and student-athletes. Coach, if you want to start off with your thoughts on tonight's match.

COACH BERNTHAL BOOTH: Well, obviously we're disappointed. We came in with the expectation to win, and that's always hard. I have to really credit Texas. I thought they played a phenomenal match. We knew that they were a fantastic team and we'd need to be really our best effort. And I thought they made us really uncomfortable and led to some uncharacteristic things with our team that I credit them by putting pressure on us.

You know, I thought their outside really dominated and did some things that were different from what we've seen as far as where they were hitting. They kind of hit all over the court, that made them tough to defend. We had to win the serve-and-pass game, and I thought we lost it tonight.

But losing stinks. It stings. But what this team has done this year and how they've done it may be what makes me even prouder. The fact that they come in every day, the fact that they love each other, the fact that they're respectful young women that do stuff in the community, I have a lot of pride in who they are as people and developing them as young women.

So I think they'll be able to reflect back and say that they had an amazing year, tread new ground for our program. Hopefully it will drive them into next year.

Q. (Indiscernible) way too many of their?
LYDIA DIMKE: Yeah, I mean, everyone knows that Texas is a phenomenal team. I think today they played amazing. I think we could have put a little more pressure on them, but maybe that's just hindsight. I don't know. They played really well.

Q. Just going back to the beginning of freshman year and last year, when you look back on, what are you going to remember?
LAUREN SMITH: Well, all the accolades that we've accumulated as a team and just threw the history of the program has been really fun to see. But I'd have to rely on all the memories that I've made. All the intangibles that come with being a student-athlete.

I couldn't ask for a better place to be than Creighton. The memories with the girls and how loving they are and how we put it all out on the court is something really special.

Q. What are your reflections on this season and the team?
LYDIA DIMKE: I think a word to describe our team is special. I think we've done a lot of amazing things this season. From where we started to where we are now, we've just grown together and we've done some pretty amazing things. I mean, we've set history for this year. Last year made it to the Sweet Sixteen. This year the Elite Eight. I can only imagine we'll follow the trend and make it to the Final Four next year.

I just think we're going to come back stronger than ever. This is a really special team, and we're going to remember it forever.

LAUREN SMITH: I think that you have a lot of really young leaders that are very mature, and the way they handle themselves on the court and off the court, I mean, I can only see Creighton being successful from here on out. And it's wonderful to see that tradition.

Q. Talk about this program and all your seniors, what they started with and what they've achieved to now?
COACH BERNTHAL BOOTH: Yeah, I said to Lauren she's going to have to stick around and coach, because she's almost serving in that role anyway. She's been here for so long. I don't know where to begin.

I mean, you talk about Lauren, you know, I could talk forever on what she does off the court. But I won't bore people with that, just to say that she's remarkable. But then on the court she's just been phenomenal for four years. She has started every match of her career, and she's been a force. Then Jess Bird, you know, that kid First Team All-Conference player, incredible athlete, incredible young woman. Had some injuries and then this year doesn't get the role that she wants and is the biggest fan of her teammates supporting her. Talk about character, I don't think I could have done that at 22 years of age.

Then Amanda Foje, one of those kids to be great you have to have on the team. A kid that will embrace the role, serves as primarily a serving specialist, but comes to practice every day. Mouths off to her teammates all the time (laughing). Anyway, she's ornery, it's fine.

But they are, you know, they talked about before this year there was a lot of expectation because our leadership was so good last year. I think they were incredible for us this year.

Q. The returners, how do you balance the pride of what they did accomplish, and what is the next step in earning the pride that they did in what they accomplished?
COACH BERNTHAL BOOTH: In the short term, we won't. I want them to reflect on the year and just have a break. But this is a mature group of driven young women. We try to recruit people that want to be great. It's not about pushing them to be great. They want to be great. I have no doubt when we get started in January, because that's when the season starts, that we will have players driven to go further.

The fact is, you never know if it's going to happen. You don't know your draw. We could have walked first round. We went five three times, so things can happen. But we're process driven, so we're going to take all the steps to be successful. Whether that happens or not, we'll see. But the process will be there.

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