MOST SUCCESSFUL STRETCH IN PROGRAM HISTORY, THREE STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES AND SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TITLES, LAUREN MICHELSON SITS DOWN NOW WITH THE HEAD COACH, MIKE HERD, WHO’S NOW LOCKED IN, SIGNED A CONTRACT EXTENSION TO LEAD THE MAVERICKS THROUGH THE 2029 SEASON. MAN, IT’S JUST THE ENTIRE. YOU LOOK AT THE ENTIRE OF WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE UNIVERSITY AND NOT JUST EVEN THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, BUT THE UNIVERSITY AS A WHOLE. YOU CAN JUST FEEL GOOD THINGS HAPPENING HERE. I’M A BIG FAMILY GUY, SO BEING ABLE TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME AND AROUND FAMILY AND ALL OF THAT, IT WAS A WAS A BIG DEAL TO ME. SO ANOTHER REASON I’M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THEY TRUSTED ME TO CONTINUE TO BE HERE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, JUST A LOT OF PRIDE IN NEBRASKA SOFTBALL AND MIDWEST SOFTBALL AND KNOWING THE LEVEL OF SOFTBALL THAT’S PLAYED HERE, IT’S IT’S KIND OF COOL BEING ABLE TO BUILD A TEAM THAT’S THAT’S BASED AROUND REGIONAL TYPE PLAYERS AND FAMILIES AROUND HERE AND BEING ABLE TO GO GO OUT AND BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THEM. THREE NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES, THREE SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TITLES. HOW DOES THIS CONSISTENCY YOU’VE HELPED BUILD DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD? YEAH, THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM, RIGHT? THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE SUPPORT OF OF EVERYBODY AROUND YOU. WE’VE GOT GREAT PLAYERS, VERY TALENTED PLAYERS THAT ARE VERY COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO WHAT THEY DO. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THING IS, I THINK THE SUCCESS THAT WE’VE HAD OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS STARTING TO GET NOTICED A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT. SO I THINK THE LEVEL OF PLAYER THAT’S MAYBE INTERESTED IN US AND WILLING TO COME LOOK AT OMAHA HAS IT’S PLEASANT TO SEE. HOW DO YOU BUILD OFF OF WHAT THIS SEASON WAS? YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S THAT THAT THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. THAT’S KIND OF WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT RIGHT NOW. I THINK YOU JUST SIT DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE DO WHAT WE CALL AN AUDIT. WE WE AUDIT OUR SEASON AND TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT WE THINK WE COULD DO BETTER AND WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE. AND WE’RE KIND OF IN THAT PROCESS NOW, HOPEFULLY GO BACK AND NOT JUST