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The Grand View University women’s volleyball team currently sits at No. 9 in the national rankings. They have won seven straight games and boast a record of 12-1 in conference play.

With a 27-6 overall record, the Vikings earned the No. 1 seed in the Heart of America Conference tournament. Following a 3-0 sweep over Baker on Nov. 5, the Vikings advanced to the second round of tournament play.

The girls set the tone for the season on opening weekend when they defeated the reigning national champions in three sets.

“Opening weekend was where the standard was set,” Head Coach Tina Carter said. “From that point, we knew that if we stayed the course the season would be special.”

Coach Carter attributes much of the success to her seniors.

“We have a strong senior class, with a great foundation of leadership,” Carter said.

Sophomore Courtney Twit, who tallied 12 kills in the opening round of the conference tournament, links the success to the team’s relationship.

“We all get along really well,” Twit said. “We hang out when we’re not playing volleyball, too.”

“Our team has great chemistry this year,” Senior Heather Poula, who led the team in digs against Baker, said. “Being able to play with some of your best friends is a great feeling.”

The relationship this team has built has not gone unnoticed.

“It has been fun to watch,” Carter said. “The girls have really created this great chemistry on and off the court.  They genuinely want to be there with each other, for each other.”

Trying to not look too far ahead, the Vikings start out with small goals for themselves.

“We like to set small goals to focus on what is directly in front of us,” Carter said. “We try to create new challenges and opportunities by breaking the season into parts.”

Sophomore Keely Larkin, who added 10 digs to the Viking’s beat-down against Baker, said that sticking to small, immediate goals benefits the team by keeping them from getting ahead of themselves.

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, the girls picked up another big victory in a 3-0 sweep over Missouri Valley.  The Vikings will play for a Heart of America Athletic Conference championship at 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, in the Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center.