Q&A With Senior KayAnne Gummersall

DURHAM, N.C.-Duke women's soccer senior KayAnne Gummersall sat down with GoDuke.com on Wednesday prior to practice to discuss the Blue Devils getting prepared to play in the NCAA Tournament this week. Gummersall, a product of Wilmette, Ill., will be playing in her fourth straight NCAA Tournament against 12th-ranked Rutgers on Friday at 4:30 p.m., in Columbia, S.C. The Blue Devils are coming off registering back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances for the first time in school history.

GoDuke.com: How happy were you to see Duke's name flash up on the screen Monday night during the selection show?

KayAnne Gummersall: It was a truly remarkable moment. I think that everybody has worked really hard for this, and we weren't sure if we would make it, but we knew that we deserved to be there. There was kind of a glitch in the system; it froze and the names didn't appear and everybody was just on their toes, and then when our name popped it was amazing. It's kind of indescribable.

GD: What has the team been working on since the ACC Tournament and going into playing Rutgers?

KG: I think we are playing our best soccer of the year; despite what our record shows, we definitely deserve to be here. From our defense to up top, we know that we need to score goals. If we are going to make a long run in this tournament we're going to have to put some goals on the board. Our defense, you can't ask for more than what they've been giving. I think that the goals will come, and we're excited to play Rutgers. They're a great team, but I think that it will be a good matchup. I think our confidence is definitely there, so that's key.

GD: What do you tell the freshmen about what to expect during NCAA tournament time?

KG: I know that we are young, especially in the back. Obviously they've never been here and the veterans have. We haven't talked that much to them about it yet, but they'll be ready. They're tough, and we are fortunate to have the schedule that we have; a lot of the teams in the ACC are NCAA teams, as we know. It's nothing that we're not used to, so I think that the freshmen will be just as prepared as everyone else.

GD: How much do you think playing in the ACC and your tough schedule will help you going into the tournament?

KG: It will definitely help us! We've faced everything there is out there. I know a lot of the teams on the West Coast are good, but we've seen the top teams. We'll definitely be ready.

GD: How important is it for this team to score goals early?

KG: I think it's one of the most important parts of the game. I think every time we've scored early, we've gotten at least two more. Scoring goals is a huge part of soccer; it's a huge part of any sport, just putting points on the board. I think it really gives us a lot of confidence. Usually when we get that lead we are able to hold it, so it's definitely a key point.

GD: How impressed have you been with your freshmen goalkeeper Tara Campbell's play this year?

KG: Tara's been amazing on and off the field. She's a great person, a great player. Everybody's just loved having her on the team; we're very lucky to have her. She's stepped up in huge games; she's had some big saves where my heart kind of stops at mid field. It's very nice knowing that you have someone back there that is going to make big saves when it matters. I think that she will really shine in this tournament because she is a big time player and she steps up when it matters.

GD: What have you learned about NCAA Tournament play that will help you guys going through this year?

KG: We've learned a few things. Definitely that anything can happen. We've won some games in penalty kicks, which is something that we've been working on. If we were to go to penalty kicks, that's something that everybody hates to lose in penalty kicks. I think that our team is very strong in that area. We've learned that if we step out and we play our hardest we normally do well. All of our games have been close with the exception of that one last year. Everybody talks about how we've been to the Elite Eight back-to- back, and I think that we definitely want more. We can achieve just that if we all set our minds to it. I won't be happy if we just make it to the Elite Eight this year. Everybody is ready for a Final Four, and I know that this team is unlike any other teams that we've had in the past. We've overcome a lot of obstacles, a lot of injuries and we're through with talking about all of that. We're just ready to go forward; everybody's 0-0 at this point. Despite the fact that our record was 8-8-4, this is a new season and we're definitely ready to give it our best shot.

GD: What about the change in formation around the Florida State game, and how much has that boosted you guys going in to the last quarter of the season?

KG: I thinking that moving into a 4-4-2 has helped us. It has generated more goals in certain games, and I think that it depends who are matched up against. I definitely think that it's worked.