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Western Washington players and coach Carmen Dolfo felt joy, giddiness and satisfaction as they snipped pieces of the basketball net after Monday night’s win that put them in rarified territory — the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament. They also felt a dose of something else: Disbelief.

The Vikings’ run through the NCAA West Regional as the No. 3 seed wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, knocking off familiar conference rivals No. 6  Alaska Anchorage and No. 2 Central Washington, along with top-seeded Cal State East Bay on Monday.

But to be one of eight teams in the nation left to play for the national championship, starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Birmingham, Alabama against No. 4 Valdosta State?

“It’s kind of surreal,” said Emma Duff, Western’s first-team all-conference guard, after winning the title game, 73-59, over national No. 15-ranked East Bay. “It’s something that we’ve had our eyes on all year.”