Stephen Slezak, Campus Carrier asst. sports editor

The 2025 beach volleyball season has begun with the Vikings coming out hot, winning six of their first seven matchups. The Vikings swept the Huntingdon Beach Bash to kick off the season and took two of three games during the Spring Hill College Classic. Unlike other sports at Berry, the beach team will compete against Division I,II and III programs while also competing against two-year colleges and NAIA programs. At the end of the season, the team will compete in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) division III championship against all of the division III programs.

Caitlyn Moriarty is the head coach of the Vikings. The beach team was established in 2022, so this is Moriarty’s fourth season coaching the new program. In 2023, the program reached the championship match of the AVCA small college national championships for the first time in program history. Moriarty is assisted by Rachel Ford, who joined the volleyball program in 2021, as well as Molly Bergin, who most recently played and graduated from Berry in 2023.

“Molly has a love for Berry and the volleyball program, and we’re blessed to have her back as a coach,” Moriarty said. “She provides a spark of enthusiasm and passion for both others and the game.”

The Vikings return with two players who were recognized nationally for their contributions to the team last year. Sophomores Becky Blades and Kaylee Howell both earned first-team All-American honors as well as AVCA Top-Flight Award winners.

“Becky and Kaylee had a great freshman season,’ Moriarty said. “They’re incredibly motivated to build on that. Additionally, they’ve worked so hard on their mindset and mental training in preparation for this season. I love that they continue to push the bar higher for our whole team.”

Junior Lura Underwood expects the team to be well prepared for the season ahead.

“Every year, we train hard and try to become the best possible versions of ourselves,” Underwood said. “I expect that we will all work hard and support each other well.”

The indoor volleyball season competes in the fall, with many of the players playing on both the indoor and beach teams. Underwood is one of the players who competes in both seasons.

“It is not required for indoor players to compete in both seasons,” Underwood said. “We just want to learn and have the opportunity to play together more. We love spending time with each other and enjoying the sport, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Other returning players who have seen time in both sports include senior Lily Teagle, Juniors Kara Schmit, Cadence Maxfield and Kat Kelyman. Sophomores include Madie Whitehead, Keira Kruk, Andrea Hurt and Ryn Gaertner.

Some newcomers to the program include freshman Ailee England, Hope Kimsey, Natalie Erickson, Blakely Barnes and Annaliese Neal.

The difference between playing on the indoor team and playing on the beach team brings a lot of situations where the player must adapt to the environment that they are in.

“Moving in the sand is harder, and when you start training on the sand, you have to get sand legs,” Underwood said. “These are ultimately the muscles you don’t typically use when working out on a flat surface. Another major difference is that there are no substitutions in beach volleyball. If you are having a bad game, you have to work through it with your partner. Additionally, the elements like heat, cold and wind can be a learning curve. Understanding which side is the good side and the bad side during a match is vital for knowing which shots to take and how much power to put on the ball.”

Both volleyball programs have a sustained history of winning at Berry. The newly established beach team has been a runner in the national championship tournament for two years in a row. This year, the team has started off on a hot start and looks to finish at the top of the country at the end of the season.

The team kicks off the home games this Friday on March 7 during the Berry Kick-Off. Florida Southern College, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Truett McConnell University all travel to Berry to play a set of games. On March 28, the Vikings will head to Texas for a four-game set at East Texas Baptist University. The season concludes with the AVCA DIII National Championship tournament that starts April 18.