Jayne Claire Vincent, Campus Carrier assistant sports editor

After defeating Birmingham Southern College on Sunday, Nov. 6, the Berry Vikings volleyball team won the Southern Atlantic Association (SAA) championship for the second consecutive year, making them eight-time conference champions.

The team will now advance to the regional hosted by Transylvania University in the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III National Tournament this Thursday. 

The team did a lot this season to prepare for the moment when they could stamp their name as conference champions for another year. 

“I think back to the preseason moments that were difficult, where we were working really hard,” Assistant Coach Rachel Ford said. “We put in all that hard work to compete at the level we are competing at now.” 

One of the things that the team prioritized this season was building unity on and off the court.  

“As student-athletes juggle challenges with school and social life, always being united as one family is key in preparing for the tournaments,” Ford said. 

Junior Jazzy Innis, a recent recipient of the SAA Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week award, was excited to defend the team’s title of conference champions.

“We were ready and hungry to keep working towards that next big goal,” Innis said.

With 18 girls this season, the team has a dedicated group of players. All of them wanted to contribute their best for it to be a successful season. 

“We just want to know we played the best we could and left it all out in the Cage,” Innis said. 

The team was ready to make it a memorable weekend for their six teammates who will be graduating in the spring, sophomore Kate Whittle said.

“We had a lot of confidence going into the game, but we wanted to give it our all, have no regrets, and play our best,” Whittle said.  “Especially for the seniors since it was the last game that they were ever going to play in the Cage, winning that for them so that they can end their careers in some great way was amazing.”

The players knew they could win the championship but that it would be a hard fight to the top. The Vikings were challenged by the teams faced early in the weekend, defeating both Rhodes College on Friday and Oglethorpe University on Saturday, which prepared them for the match on Sunday against recurring rival Birmingham-Southern College (BSC).

This year’s championship game was more challenging than last season, where Berry did not allow BSC to win any sets, which are won by being the first team to reach 25 points.

“Birmingham-Southern put up an amazing fight, so we had to work for it,” Ford said. “[The win] feels special, and it feels like we earned the championship versus an easy victory.” 

Going into the weekend, some of the expectations were to bring high energy and encourage one another throughout the matches. 

 ­

“We knew that mistakes were going to happen,” Ford said. “It’s volleyball, a game of mistakes, but it was more so how they responded to those mistakes and how they were able to pick themselves up and pick each other up as a team that mattered.”

Even though the team fell behind at times, losing two sets and winning three by a close margin, the players never gave up. 

“We were super relentless defense-wise and going after everything,” Whittle said.  “We never gave up, there were a few times we were behind, but with this team, we never think we are out of the game.” 

By intentionally not being complacent during their games, the team stayed resilient. 

“There were some nerves yesterday, but we were able to play through those and lean on each other,” Whittle said. “I love this team so much because everyone believes in each other, and there is so much confidence in one another. We are never rattled; we always know what we can do and go out there and give it our best.”

The coaches and players attribute their success to the alumnae that have played before them. 

“We cannot forget to credit the alums,” said Moriarty.  “They laid a foundation and raised the bar a little bit higher.”

Whittle also stressed the alums’ importance by recognizing that Berry volleyball would not be the same program it is today without them. 

“It’s important to remember that the alumni before us have built this program and made it something,” Whittle said.  “Our goal is to keep raising the program’s standards yearly.”

Looking forward to the weekend with excitement, the team knows what they can do and plans to give it their all at regionals. 

“We are going to continue to work and strive to accomplish what we can,” Moriarty said.