2021 WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 10, 2021

Giselle Juarez

Jocelyn Alo

Oklahoma Sooners

Postgame Press Conference

Oklahoma 5, Florida State 1

Q. What did it mean to see Patty Gasso celebrate this national championship, and what does it mean to you to now be a part of the fraternity of OU and Patty Gasso national championship players?

GISELLE JUAREZ: Honestly, like all the glory goes to God. We've been battling together. That's been kind of our thing. I mean, God helped us through this, and He -- man, He just worked through us, and I think it's really awesome.

To see Coach with us, it's just really awesome to see us do what we were trained for. God gets all the glory today.

JOCELYN ALO: I think it's super awesome, like G said. God has been with us this whole time, and to see Coach in that moment was just awesome.

I think she kind of has relied on me and G for a little bit, and just to share that moment with her was awesome. Another thing, too, is that Coach has -- actually, never mind. Sorry. I just am lost for words right now.

Q. Jocelyn, can you just talk about the fact that in that designated player spot that you were in this tournament, hitting, that's what you're doing for this team, and to have that as your singular focus and to be able to produce like you did throughout this tournament, the challenge in that, what is that for you? And then to get that first run on the board today, I think you had a 2-2 count, you fouled, you swung and missed, to get that home run in that moment, talk me through that.

JOCELYN ALO: Yeah, it's kind of just been smooth sailing, quite honestly. As a DP and as a hitter, I try not to think so much about outcomes, more so just focusing on the process of things.

Really I was just going up there and I was doing my thing. Today when I seen the ball go out, I was like, yes, finally.

But yeah, it was just very good. I just really stuck to my plan, and I knew what I wanted. It was good to see the ball go out and just give us the early lead.

Q. G, I think it was pretty fitting that the last play came to you on the pop-up. What were you thinking as that ball was popped up and you're about to catch it? What was the celebration like? And Jocelyn, also, what were your thoughts running out there for the celebration.

GISELLE JUAREZ: Honestly I was kind of hoping it didn't go in the sun and that they would let me catch it. But I mean, it felt so slow motion, and then just to look up after I caught it and see Hanson running at me, surreal, awesome moment.

Q. G, I wanted to ask you, at what point were you told you were going to pitch today? And how did you feel? It seemed like you stayed strong throughout the game.

GISELLE JUAREZ: I think this morning. Not super early. But it was before we had left the hotel.

I felt good. I knew adrenaline was going to be going through. I mean, it was my last game here as a Sooner, and I just wanted to leave it all out there on the field for my teammates, and that's what I did.

Q. Giselle, obviously your season has been absolutely incredible. Have you even begun to comprehend what you did this week?

GISELLE JUAREZ: No, it hasn't set in. But I mean, I just wanted to go out there and have my team and just give them every chance to win. The beginning of the season wasn't great for me, but I just kept grinding and trusting God's plan for myself. He had this moment planned for me, so I think just -- man, it just feels surreal right now.

Q. Jocelyn, when you were growing up in Hawai'i and coming over for travel ball, when did the idea of OU softball start to become something different for you? When did that brand become something that mattered?

JOCELYN ALO: It was actually my senior year of high school. I don't know if you guys know, but I was actually committed to Cal Berkeley my freshman year and decommitted from there my senior year. I remember calling my travel ball coach, Coach Mike, and I was like, hey, my heart is not with Cal Berkeley no more, is there any other options? Oklahoma said they might have something, so I took a visit up there, and I committed on my 18th birthday. My birthday is always like a special thing to remember.

Man, to be from Hawai'i and to be in a national championship and win a national championship was awesome. I just want to say to all the other Hawai'i kids that things like this can happen with hard work, and that you just continue to do your thing every single day.

Q. Jocelyn, could you talk about what Nicole Mendes, Shannon and Giselle meant to this team that they had their big moments this weekend as they have all year long?

JOCELYN ALO: It's going to be tough without them next year, man. It's going to be so sad without them. It's just kind of setting in that this was my last game with them. I've come through this program with them, and they mean so much to this program, and I'm so happy we could win a national championship for them.

GISELLE JUAREZ: You're making me cry.

JOCELYN ALO: But I was just so happy to have this with them because we've been talking about it all year, and we just continued to trust in God, and man, I'm going to miss them. I'm going to miss them so much.