Calgaard Gymnasium’s student section shouts from the sideline. Trinity’s supporters bang their feet against the bleachers. The 12 players on the court call for the ball. Cheers echo from each team, and referees blow their whistles.

These were the sights and sounds on the weekend of Sept. 13–14, where the No. 12 ranked Trinity women’s volleyball team competed in the Trinity National Invitational Tournament. The tournament had three games over two days, concluding Trinity’s final non-conference matches before in-conference play begins.

The Tigers started with the lead during Saturday’s Sept. 13 game against the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, winning 3-1. The team finished with multiple players with double digit kills, including senior Reagan Whatley, who finished the game with 14 kills.

“It was fun being on the home court again and playing with my best friends,” Whatley said. “We had a really spread offense, so it was really nice seeing everyone play a role in everything.”

Trinity lost the following game on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. against Whitworth University. The Tigers lost 2-3, but the game continued through five sets. Despite the game’s results, Trinity won the first and fourth sets, forcing the game into its fifth set to break the tie. The team concluded the match with consistent statistics of 67 kills, 12 aces, 12 blocks, 61 assists and 74 digs. Senior Courtney Pope had a total of 15 kills that game, and first-year Lily Long led the team with 19 total kills. Pope talks about her mindset while on the court.

“I think about where I’m gonna swing and what the other side is doing,” Pope said. “This year I’ve been really focusing on my offense, like having a faster arm swing and cutting the ball.”

The final game of the tournament, on Sunday Sept. 14 at 5 p.m., concluded with a loss for the Tigers against East Texas Baptist University (ETBU). The game ended with a 1-3 loss, making this game the first time Trinity has ever lost against ETBU. Head Coach Julie Jenkins talked about the team’s execution during the ETBU game.

“In that match, there were two very good teams going after it. Two teams that are very well balanced offensively, two strong defensive teams,” Jenkins said. “We were off, and they were totally on fire. They were the better team today.”

Although the weekend ended with two losses, next week, the team will begin conference play, competing against Berry College for the first match. Trinity owns a record of 3-0 against Berry in the past three seasons, though it’s their first meeting in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). Jenkins mentions her preparations and eagerness for the weekend.

“This is a whole new chapter for the history of this program going into the SAA. We want to set the tone early with the SAA that we’re going to dominate,” Jenkins said. “Believe me, there won’t be a lack of ‘Oh, I don’t know what we need to work on.’ I know what we need to work on.”

With home-court advantage, Trinity is ready to take on Berry on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 11:00 a.m. Under the direction of Coach Jenkins, Trinity volleyball is preparing for their new season in the SAA. Now the real noise begins.