For Woodbury Resident, March Madness is 'Crazy Exciting'

Taylor Stippel is getting a serious taste of March Madness.

The freshman forward—and her No. 3 ranked Michigan Tech Huskies (29-2)—are gearing up for Elite Eight play in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament tonight, March 22. The Huskies will play No. 1 ranked Arkansas Tech (30-2) at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center in St. Joseph, Mo.

The game will be streamed online at NCAA.com.

Stippel, formerly of Woodbury, is a 2009 graduate of Stillwater Area High School, where she averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior for the Ponies. She set the Stillwater record for points in a game with 34 as a senior and was named all-conference in three sports—basketball, volleyball and softball.

As a freshman with the Huskies, Stippel scored 17 points in 17 games this season, notching her college career high (seven points) on Jan. 11 against Marygrove College when she saw 15 minutes of playing time. Stippel helped the Huskies with four rebounds in the NCAA Division II regional game against Drury University.

Patch caught up with Stippel at her hotel room in Missouri on Monday night to ask her a few questions about this season and what it’s like to be a part of March Madness.

Woodbury Patch: What it's been like playing college basketball as a freshman at Michigan Tech?

Taylor Stippel: It's been a privilege to play on such a talented team and with such high quality people. Even though many teams are said to be "families," our team is so close-knit that I truly feel as if I have a family away from home. It was exciting to have the opportunity to play this year.

Patch: What's it like being a freshman on such a strong team?

Stippel: I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to play for Tech; our team is truly special in that we work harder than any team that I have been on prior to coming here. It's exciting to come to practice each day and know that everyone is honestly doing everything that they can to be their best each day and improve the skills of those around them. I don't think that many teams are like ours in that respect.

Patch: What have you learned this season and how have you grown as a player?

Stippel: Throughout the last year and a half, I've learned a lot about the game, and realized that there is still so much that I need to learn. The biggest area of growth for me has been shooting. I didn't have much range in high school and working with the coaches and other players has helped a lot.

Our team has exceeded the expectations of a lot of people this year, but we had high expectations for ourselves from the start of the season; coach Cameron is a great coach, and I'm lucky to have the opportunity to learn from her and coach Stream and coach Drake every day.

Patch: What's it like to be a part of March Madness?

Stippel: It's crazy exciting to be a part of March Madness. I've honestly not felt this excited about any other sporting event in which I've participated before. And although I didn't feel any less a part of the team last year as a redshirt, it's great to be on the court and practicing to play in the Elite Eight.

Patch: How does the mood and atmosphere change from the regular season to the playoffs?

Stippel: At Tech, we get to play in one of the best atmospheres in Division II every home game, but the regionals were especially exciting. More fans were there, the band was louder, and everything was just a little more intense. It's hard to describe without being right in the middle of it. As we moved on from game to game, the desire to win a national championship became stronger.

Patch: What does it mean to you to have the opportunity to play in the Elite Eight?

Stippel: I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to play in the Elite Eight. Most people don't get to experience all that we have experienced this week so far. But we've also worked for it, and that sense of ownership is what has pushed us this far.

Patch: What would it mean to play in the Final Four?

Stippel: It would be really special to play in the Final Four. We hope to get there and are excited for the games to start.

Patch: What will you take from this season as you move forward with your career at Michigan Tech?

Stippel: Our seniors have exemplified every quality that I aspire to have as I move forward at Tech, and they've taught me a lot this year. They've worked so hard throughout their careers, and I'm excited to keep getting stronger in workouts and more technically skilled in practices and individuals as they have done. I'll never forget the sense of unity that our team embodied this year, and can't wait to continue to play for a program made up of such good people.