Coach Zelda Smith and her Richland College volleyball team hasn’t backed down from stiff competition this season.

Playing many NJCAA Division I teams, including all of their opponents in a tournament over the weekend, the NJCAA Division III T-Ducks are proving that they will be a hard team to beat in Metro Athletic Conference play.

Richland College opens MAC action with a home game at 7 p.m. today against Eastfield.

Over the weekend, the T-Ducks lost their three hard fought matches to Division I foes North Central Texas (25-23, 25-17), Wharton Junior College (26-24, 25-23) Midland College (25-23, 25-15) and San Jacinto College-Central (25-11, 25-21), which is the No. 10-ranked NJCAA Division I team.

Richland entered the weekend having defeated Jarvis Christian College, 25-20, 25-21, 25-7, on Thursday, Sept. 17.