By Alex Benzegala
Panhandle Post
Records are meant to be broken. Limits are supposed to be tested, and ultimately surpassed. Unforeseen waters are made are made to be explored.
On Thursday night, former Alliance Bulldog volleyball star Jordan Hopp will do something no other Bulldog has done before in recorded Alliance history, play in a Division-1 Volleyball Tournament.
There have been many great volleyball players to come out of Alliance, including her former teammate Emersen Cyza who is playing in Division-2 national tournament on Thursday for Nebraska-Kearney. Hopp's journey from Alliance star to starting for Iowa State in the National Tournament, is uncommon for many division athletes, but also greatly mirrors many of the great traits of her hometown of Alliance, Nebraska.
Many Division one athletes started or even starred as freshman and sophomores in high school. Hopp, while lettering, did not begin to shine as a Bulldog until her Junior year, when she helped lead the Bulldogs to their first State Tournament since 2000. After graduating as a two-time Class B All Nebraska All-selection, she embarked to Ames Iowa, an almost nine-hour car ride from Alliance.
In her first three years at ISU, she played just 13 games. But like all those who call Alliance home, she used grit, hard work and determination to pay her dues. After starting all games this season for the 20-9 Cyclones, she now gets the opportunity to showcase her skills and hard work on the biggest stage of college volleyball.
"I just worked hard, and put the time in," Hopp said. "College volleyball takes a lot of patience, and you got to understand that there are going to be girls that are ahead of you. I came in as a freshman and there were two 5th-year seniors and an Olympian in front of me, and I just put my nose down and put the work in and it paid off."
Paid off it has as Hopp has started in every match and has totaled 52 kills and 102 blocks going into Thursday's 1st round National Tournament Match in Eugene against the champion of the Big West Conference Hawaii. Iowa State seeded 7th in their bracket and would most likely have to play #2 seed Oregon on their home floor in Eugene. Iowa State, like one of their leaders from Alliance might be one of the underdogs, but that's just like how Hopp likes it.
"We made it our goal that we're not going to be out in the first round, we're not going to be out in the 2nd round, we're going to make it to that sweet-sixteen," Hopp said. "We're going to do everything we can to have grit and make it as far as possible."