UCF Head Coach Todd Dagenais
Opening statement…
Taking a look back at this season in its totality, the title of the book should be The Improbable Season. Going all the way back to Puerto Rico, I thought that we were young, but we were going to be good. The computers said we would be 18-12, which was pretty good for the group that we have. They started to win. They won close matches. Then they fell behind in matches, and they found ways to win them. We’d win on the road in some hostile places. They kept playing for each other when adversity hit.
On the focus of the team…
I’ve never been around a team that was so locked in the moment and played for each other like this group. It’s the best team we’ve ever had. What a special year they went through. We’re not even going to talk about it being over, because we have bigger plans. That’ll start Sunday when we find out where we’ll be playing in the tournament. We’re going to be 0-0 and take it from there.
On the regular season result…
If you told me at the start of the season that we’d be 27-3, as one of the best records in school history, I would have told them that you’re absolutely crazy. Not that we couldn’t do it, but that’s just so hard to do. I remember how hard it was to go 17-3 in 2014, when we had two All-Americans on our team. I could not be more proud of the fight that this group showed. It’s the best I’ve ever coached.
On the possibility of hosting in the NCAA Tournament…
I don’t think there’s any doubt. You look at the RPI as of today, we were at 10. We’ll see what happens with all the other matches and the teams that are around us. I don’t think we should go down. I think we’re a single-digit RPI team, and that should definitely make us a host. If they regionalize it, then fine. Bring the Seminoles, the Gators and Florida Gulf Coast here next week, and let’s just have it out. Certainly, this team deserves to play on their home floor. I’d put us out there with anybody.
On celebrating Jordan Pingel…
She deserved every honor that she gets. For her to go out with an undefeated conference record is just something she’s earned. She’s going to break the single-season record next week. In terms of leadership and toughness, and all those qualities you want in your captain, she has a great supporting cast around her, but she has this team dialed in. It’s really her team. The team takes on her toughness, determination and grit. That’s why we’ve had so much success this season.