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27 B rylee Klosterman yearned to be a Hawkeye and it made sense for the North Liberty native to come to the University of Iowa. Aer all, she grew up just 10 miles north of Bob Pearl Field. "It is important and special to me that I can see my grandparents, my friends, and my aunts and uncles in the stands," said Klosterman. "at is a huge reason why I wanted to stay home, aside from loving the school. Staying home and being part of this community is great. Being a Hawkeye is something I always wanted to do." A three-time All-State honoree, soball fans in Iowa are no stranger to Klosterman. For the Liberty Lightning, Klosterman hit .489 with 35 RBIs in her junior season; in her senior season she hit .459 with 18 RBIs. Now a freshman at Iowa, Klosterman is making an impact for the Hawkeyes. She ranks second on the team in batting average and leads the team in triples. On May 4 she was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week and D1 Soball Freshman of the Week aer hitting .615 with six runs and five RBIs in four wins against Rutgers. She slugged 1.077 and had an on-base percentage of .667. Making the jump from high school to college soball is not easy in an ordinary year, so when you factor in the lack of a fall season and the unique aspects that go into playing a Big Ten-only schedule, the adjustment Klosterman has made is impressive. "My confidence is probably the biggest thing," said Klosterman. "Seeing myself succeeding, knowing that I can do it, and having confidence that I am good enough. e physical ability is there, but the mental part of the game is what sets athletes apart from each other. I struggled when I first got here. I think it was more of a mental thing. My first games were against Ohio State and Michigan. It was a big jump. I had not seen movement on a ball like that consistently. It was an experience thing, I needed more at bats and I needed confidence and structure." Being able to play the game she loves with Iowa across her chest means something extra for Klosterman, who hopes to help return the program to where it once stood. Iowa finished the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a record of 17-5, its first winning season since going 30-24 in 2013. "I want to bring Iowa back to where it was," said Klosterman. "Being an Iowa kid and being local, that is my biggest goal. I want to leave my mark here, hopefully become an All-American and leave a footprint at the university." Klosterman is living out her dreams every day, playing for the program she grew up following. "I always knew I wanted to come here," said Klosterman. "It was my dream and I am so glad I ended up being a Hawkeye." Aer trading the Liberty purple for black and gold of the Hawkeyes, Klosterman is starting to take those steps toward leaving a footprint on the soball program. Iowa heads into the final weekend with a record of 23-17. MAY SCHEDULE MAY 14 Illlinois MAY 15 Illlinois MAY 16 Illlinois