Bradynn Belcher, Campus Carrier assistant sports editor
The Berry College volleyball team will face a familiar foe in their season opener on Friday to kickstart what looks to be one of the most difficult seasons in program history.
Ranked 11th in the country according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVAC), the Vikings are heading to Lexington, Ky. for the Transy Invite tournament, where they will first compete against Transylvania University, ranked 8th. The two teams have a strained relationship, as the Pioneers defeated the Vikings in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament to end their 2022 campaign.
Assistant Coach Rachel Ford said the loss last year in the postseason has urged her team to work harder so they avoid feeling the pain of that loss again, as well as show the Pioneers what Berry Volleyball is truly capable of.
“I think with that loss to Transylvania in the Sweet 16 last year, it really came down to choosing to use this as motivation moving forward, so we don’t have to feel this again,” Ford said. “We get another chance to show them who Berry Volleyball is. I think we have more to show them.
The Pioneers are just the beginning of a plethora of ranked teams that the Vikings will play this season. Six out of their first 10 opponents are ranked alongside the top 25 teams in the country, according to AVCA.
Amidst these top opponents is Juniata College, the reigning NCAA Division III tournament champions. The Eagles are ranked first in the AVCA preseason poll.
Regularly playing ranked opponents can be daunting to any team, but the Vikings are facing the challenge in stride. Head Coach Caitlyn Moriarty feels honored to be invited to face other highly ranked teams to prepare her players for Southern Athletic Association (SAA) conference play.
“I think we’ve always been a program that has big aspirations on the national scene and recognizes if you want to have those aspirations, you need to go play the best teams,” Moriarty said. “We feel so privileged to be able to be invited to these tournaments and compete with the best and be considered one of the perennial programs in Division III. It’s something we don’t take for granted.”
In preparation for a tough strength of schedule, the Vikings arrived on campus early to begin their preseason practice and conditioning. During a typical year, time must be set aside during these initial practices to ensure the athletes are conditioned and in-shape mentally and physically for the upcoming season.
This year, however, the team’s preseason looked a little different than it has in all of Moriarty’s seven years as head coach. Moriarty said that this team came on to campus way ahead culturally and physically than what she was anticipating. This has allowed the team to better prepare for this upcoming season.
“The amazing part about this group is they’re all so bought-in and so way ahead culturally than we’ve ever been before,” Moriarty said. “Physically, they did so much preparation this summer that during our preseason, we’ve been able to launch much faster than we have in the past. If they’re coming in ready to go, ready to work, we are able to move at a much faster pace, which at this point in our program, we have to. If we want to compete with the best, like we have to have players that have that mindset too.”
The volleyball team graduated six seniors last year, making holes in the lineup that needed to be filled coming into this season, but Moriarty is confident in the depth of her team to fill and excel in new roles on the court.
Senior Outside Hitter, Jazzy Innis, Senior Middle Blocker, Olivia Mallow, and Junior Libero Kate Whittle are anticipated to be forces to be reckoned with this season. All three players’ resumés are filled with athletic accolades, including various degrees of All American status for their performances during the 2022 campaign. Their contributions will be critical this season.
Innis, a two-time captain of the squad, recognizes the importance of winning and losing but spotlights the team’s emphasis on growing as individuals as the most important goal of the season. To this team, volleyball is much more than winning and losing.
“I think a goal is just to grow as individuals and as a team,” Innis said. “That’s always been a goal of our program and winning and losing will come with that. I think we really want to grow as a team and grow as women that are reliable, have respect for ourselves and one another and have good discipline.”
The Vikings will be on the road for their first 12 matchups of the season. They will return to The Cage on Sep. 30 for SAA play against Millsaps College.