It's all still sinking in for Emma Halter. Understandably so. Just a few days ago the freshman was playing in front of 17,000 people at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, helping No. 1 Texas volleyball win its first national championship since 2012.
The former Roncalli High School star is the fifth Hoosier in four years to win a Division I volleyball title, following Wisconsin's MJ Hammill (Center Grove) and Julia Wohlert (Decatur Central), Kentucky's Alli Stumler (Christian Academy of Indiana) and Stanford's Caitie Baird (Perry Meridian).
"I've been on a high and happy, looking back at all the pictures and reminiscing," Halter said Tuesday morning. "This team worked so hard all season, day-in and day-out. We did not have a single bad practice, and to see all that hard work pay off and our dreams come true — because all of us have wanted this since we were little girls — is a really special feeling."
Halter played no small role in Texas' success.
The 5-5 defensive specialist/libero participated in all 29 matches, logging 98 sets played with 126 digs (1.29 per set), 12 aces and 21 assists. Her .950 reception percentage ranked second on the team, while her dig total was good for fifth.
Halter was very good in the NCAA Tournament, totaling 25 digs over 21 sets. She had five digs and only one error on 23 passes against San Diego in the semifinal, then tallied five digs and critical passes on back-to-back set points in the third against Louisville in the final.
"Man, Emma is a freakin' gamer," libero Zoe Fleck told the Austin-American Statesman in September. "She comes in and makes plays. Nerves of steel."
More:Running with a veteran cast, Texas freshman Emma Halter enjoying her first NCAA postseason
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Halter was an immediate contributor (or that she's quickly becoming a fan favorite). She was among the nation's best coming out of high school, with 2,984 digs and 187 aces in four seasons at Roncalli, with a regional championship her senior year.
But Halter had to earn her spot with the Longhorns.
"They kicked our butts in workouts," Halter laughed. "It was very, very difficult, but I had prepared myself in high school to be put through that much work. In regards to volleyball, a lot changed."
Those changes were deep. The Texas coaches reworked virtually everything from Halter's form and the height of her pass to teaching her to use her arms more and move her feet less. It felt like they were changing her entire game, which was a bit overwhelming at first, Halter said, but the results were immediate.
"What they told me and the adjustments I've made this year have been incredible," said Halter, who will compete for the libero spot next season. "I'm so excited with the growth I've made as a player."
Halter was unsure if she would play immediately, but after sitting out the first set of the season at No. 7 Ohio State, coach Jerritt Elliott threw her in. There was some pressure, said Halter, who had five digs and an assist in her debut, but she maintained a "nothing to lose mindset" and focused on having fun. "I proved myself and Coach trusted me from there."
"That was probably my favorite match because it was my first time ever stepping on the college floor," said Halter, who also had a couple memorable digs that night. "The girls were so supportive because they knew I needed them. … And I also had so much family there. Plus my high school team came, my best friends came — it's one of the games I'll never forget."
Halter had support from back home throughout the season. Her parents made it to nearly all her matches, including all six in the NCAA Tournament, while extended family and friends made the trip to Omaha to cheer her on in the national semifinals, with countless others reaching out to let her know they'd be watching from home.
"I could have cried all the time because of the amount of support we all felt," Halter said.
As for her initial NCAA Tournament experience — which culminated with a four-set win over San Diego in the semifinal followed by a sweep of Louisville two nights later — Halter described it as a dream come true.
"I really tried to take in the entire experience, because it's kind of once-in-a-lifetime," she said. "I hope to be there three more years, but you never know. So you have to really take it all in. Every single day was a new adventure. I don't think I'll wipe the smile off my face for three weeks."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at@Brian_Haenchen.
