The Crimson Tide Volleyball team has started the 2018 season undefeated. This new look team is led by a strong group of juniors, one of which is Ginger Perinar.

“We’ve been strong for the past five years,” coach Ed Allen said. “With Ginger being healthy that definitely helps. Last year [Perinar] was not able to play last year, having her back helps a lot.”

In the first six games, Perinar is second on the team in points, points per serve, as well as kills. But she attributes her success to her teammates as well as the rehab she did over the summer.

“This summer I went home for my rehab. I would spend three days a week on rehab and then the other three days I would do lifts and conditioning,” said Perinar. “It was not too much of a summer break, but I knew after the way things ended last season, I knew what I was working towards and it was going to be worth it.”

The Crimson Tide finished the 2017, 18-14 but had a losing 6-12 record within the SEC Conference. This year Perinar said the goal this year is to be consistent.

“Coach has preached a lot about consistency,” said Perinar. “We’ll face roller coasters throughout the season which is normal but, he has really preached consistency in what we do every day and holding each other accountable in practice. When a teammate is down in a match or at practice we would pick them up.”

Perinar also said that the tone in practice has been completely different then it has been in previous seasons.

“There has just been a different vibe in open gym and during lift,” said Perinar. “The mentality is that we are going to work our hardest until we physically can’t do it anymore.”

Allen said that Perinar has been a perfect fit ever since she transferred.

“Even though she has only been with us for a year, she understands what we want to do here,” said Allen. “She’s a player we would have recruited and buys into the things that we value.”

Allen went on to say that the junior class has been reliable this year. The class leads the team in kills and Coach believes that the consistency is huge for them.

“We just prepare every day to get better,” said Allen. “Everything that we do throughout the course of the year is to help make the players better at what they do and the team we play on the weekend is just there.”

Mahalia Swink, an outside hitter from Ohio said that the new mindset this season has totally changed since what it was last season.

“We all want to fight and win,” Swink said. “We all have the same mindset right now and that’s what has been fueling the early success.”

“Everybody has started really well this year, but Ginger has really stepped it up this year,” said Swink “The way our offense is set up this year, it can be anyone’s night. Instead of teams setting up for one plan of attack they have to prepare for the whole team.”