The weekend of Sept. 20, Trinity women’s volleyball kicked off conference play in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). Competing against Berry College, Centre College and Rhodes College, Trinity won all three games without losing a single set.

The Tigers wrapped up their victorious weekend on Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. in their match against Rhodes College, defeating them 3-0. Senior Reagan Whatley led the team with 15 kills and three service aces. The team’s libero, senior Jenna Rodriguez, led the team with 10 digs, which was closely followed by sophomore Brynn Bishop’s nine digs. The game ended when first-year Madison Smith made the game-winning kill, which prompted the team to rush the court in celebration.

“We’re all a very loving team, so having your team behind you is almost as special as the kill itself —  being surrounded by people who love you,” Smith said. “As I was going up, I kind of blacked out. I was like ‘just trust your training, and do what you know.’ I was very grateful for Reagan [Whatley], who passed the ball, and [junior] Kendall [DeRivel], who set me. It’s special knowing these upperclassmen trust you to do that.”

The team started off the weekend by playing Berry College on Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. The Tigers are familiar with Berry College as an opponent. In the past three years, Trinity has gone undefeated against Berry, and the team continued this record on Saturday with a 3-0 win. The game concluded when senior hitter Marissa Drange made the final kill at the net.

“I think we played with a lot of confidence and determination, and I’m proud of that win. Personally, I just tried to come in with a lot of energy and bring that to the team, especially when I came into the first set,” Drange said. “Something I’m really proud of is that we had a lot of moments where we were coming from behind in past weekends. It put a little bit of pressure on us, but I don’t think that got to us at all in this game.”

For decades, Trinity played in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), but this year, the Tigers have made the shift to the SAA. This transition comes with new teams to play, some of which are ranked as the best teams in Division III volleyball.

“We know the SAA has some really good competitors, especially this opening weekend is very, very tough, so it’s important to come in and show them who we are,” Junior Courtney Pope said. “Momentum is a big part of the game, and the communication we have on the court builds up momentum and builds up confidence in each other. That’s a huge part of the game.”

On Sept. 20, the team played Centre College at 7 p.m. This was the first time Trinity had ever played Centre in program history. Trinity volleyball continued their winning streak of the weekend by defeating Centre 3-0, scoring 59 points to Centre’s 29 in the three sets.

The Tigers will continue their conference play on Sept. 27 against Oglethorpe University, Sewanee University and Millsaps College. The games will take place at Berry College in Mount Berry, GA, as the Tigers spring into the routine of SAA play.

(This story was updated with more thorough coverage)