I remember as a freshman, in 2003, how exciting it was to go to a regional in Austin, Texas.

I had no idea what to expect, no clue what it really meant, but I knew it was going to be something I would remember for a long time.

After arriving in Texas, I remember how proud I was to wear the Rainbow Wahine uniform. It symbolized so much more than great softball. It represented a team that had worked so hard to get to postseason play, and once we got to the field at the University of Texas, it was time to prove that. I was in complete awe of my team. The level of play, the energy, the crowd; everything was intense, everything counted. Now, as a senior I'm about to live it all again.

Nervous and excited, we (team and staff) all went to a restaurant in Fresno, Calif., on Sunday to watch the NCAA Softball Regional Selection on ESPN. Even though we had been reassured by many, we were still nervous about the looks of our "destiny," as coach Bob (Coolen) likes to call it. We waited in anticipation, and finally, our name popped up on the screen as the second seed in the UCLA Regional in Los Angeles. The room erupted in yells and screams as all of our hard work was placed in our state's name on a television screen. It was an incredible feeling.

Although we would have loved to have frozen time and lived in that moment forever, it lasted for seconds before coach Bob and our sports information director, Kara Nishimura, were making phone calls and e-mailing people to arrange accommodations for a party of 27 people to go to L.A today. However, just because they were busy that didn't stop the team from displaying its energy and excitement as they "chee-hooed" in the parking lot and raced down the hallway of our hotel in pure joy. The next day, the real work would begin, but for that moment, it was complete happiness.

Yesterday, we practiced at the Fresno practice field, working infield and outfield drills, hitting and pitching. We know that in just a couple days, the entire team will reap the benefits of its well-deserved and hard-earned regional berth in L.A. It was a good practice, followed by a lifting session at Fresno City College, where we focused on simply maintaining our strength for the upcoming games.

I'm the only one on the team that has been to the regionals so I'm excited to see the other's faces when they get their players' passes, get treated as elite athletes, and get inspired to want to beat any team that shows up to play against us. This team is amazing, and if we play the game we are capable of playing, we're going to be hard to beat.