DALLAS (SMU) – A quick glance is all it takes and Kendall Patterson is suddenly at ease.

The back row on a volleyball court isn't a place Patterson is accustomed to being. She spent much of her volleyball career offering up sets to outside hitters but now finds herself digging out opponent's kill attempts. But SMU needed someone on the back row for the 2019 season and Patterson has dutifully filled the role.

That's why the head nod and sly grin from libero Montana Watts are so important. No matter the score or situation, Patterson's mind quickly finds peace when Watts looks her way.

That's what a friendship spanning more than a decade can do.  

"Here we are, senior year and now we're literally side-by-side on the court. We are next to each other with other teams serving at us and we look at each other and we're like, 'Hey, we've got this,'" Patterson said. "I wouldn't want anyone else next me. I just feel so much comfort and so much peace being next to her."

Chance Meeting

At first, Patterson was a little envious of Watts' bravado.

The club facility they trained at as middle schoolers was massive, with numerous courts and teams practicing at the same time. The thing that stood out about Watts? According to Patterson, it was her stylish headbands. They oozed cool.

Eventually, the 11-year olds ended up on the same team. Before long, they ended up friends.

"We never wanted to stop playing, whether it was being at each other's houses and being outside in the driveway or going to the beach courts, we just could never get enough," Patterson said. "I think that common love for volleyball really just served as our relationship and then it went in all these different directions we never thought it would end up going."

Patterson went on to become a standout for Hebron High School in Carrollton. About 25 miles away, Watts was a budding star at Boyd High. They came together through club volleyball, but had to face off against each other in high school matches. They always remained best friends, even after Patterson's Hebron squad topped Boyd during a regional final en route to the 2015 Texas 6A state title.

"We would always laugh at each other on the other side when we messed up, or when we did well. It was definitely bittersweet," Watts said.

Committing to SMU

Watts couldn't stop crying. It was a moment of pure joy that seemed improbable just a few months back. Which is why Patterson's talk left her so emotional.

Since eighth-grade, Watts and Patterson had spent their summers attending SMU's volleyball camps. Both players had garnered interest from head coach Lisa Seifert. Watts committed as a sophomore. Patterson was anxiously awaiting an offer as the duo planned to continue their friendship as college teammates.

Recruiting is never easy and, at the time, Seifert didn't have any available scholarships, but she stayed in contact with Patterson. Seifert knew that if something changed with her roster, Patterson would be her first call.

Fortunately, it did.

A late roster defection left a spot open. Seifert worried the call to Patterson's club coach was going to be too late.

"We tracked her the whole time because we weren't exactly sure what was going to happen. We had heard she was about to commit and at that very moment, almost in sync, we lost another kid," Seifert said. "Things happen for a reason for sure."

Still exhausted from a grueling club workout, Patterson took Watts aside, eager to tell her best friend the good news – their dream to play volleyball in college together was about to come true.

Watts couldn't stop the tears of joy.

"I'll never forget the night that she told me that she committed. We just sat there and cried after a club practice. It was so great," Watts said.

The Journey

The age old advice is something Watts and Patterson did not heed, at least as freshman.

"They always say, 'Don't be roommates with your best friend, because you'll end up hating them by the end of the year.' We completely went against that," Patterson said with a laugh.

The experience certainly provided a new test for their friendship, but it never came close to breaking in. In fact, after two years in separate living spaces, they're back to being roommates.

What the duo has been able to do as individuals is special. As a sophomore, Watts became the fourth SMU player to record 600 digs in single season. As a junior, she did it again, making her one of two Mustangs all-time to accomplish the feat. Patterson followed her AAC Freshman of the Year honor by earning All-AAC Second Team as a sophomore. She played all 110 sets as a junior.

They've certainly left individual marks, but it's the on the court success they're most proud of. As freshmen, they helped the Mustangs reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. And they helped earn the program's first-ever postseason victory, a three-set take down of Texas A&M.

"It was the most incredible moment I've been a part of," Patterson said. "I'm so incredibly thankful for that game and having Montana on the court there with me. We learned so much from that experience, and I hope we can get back there this year."

Lasting Impact

Seifert's goal for the 2019 season was to establish a positive locker room culture. There's no one else she'd want setting that tone than Patterson and Watts.

"I really believe the chemistry isn't necessarily on the court, but it's what's going on in the locker room. And the locker room doesn't necessarily mean that room specifically, but what are they doing socially. Are they all complying with the culture set forth by our program," Seifert said. "(Watts and Patterson) live by that. They breathe that. And they make sure everybody else is making their best attempt to live by that. There are seven freshmen and four sophomores. That's 11 kids under their tutelage. But they're doing a great job."

As they continue through the American Athletic Conference schedule, both players are looking to be the example SMU needs.

When they committed, Watts and Patterson were part of a five-player signing class. They are the only two players from that group still enrolled at the school. Aside from junior Meryn Kennedy, everyone else on the roster is either a freshman or sophomore.

It hasn't made for the easiest road to close out their collegiate careers, but both players agree that it's exactly where they want to be. They want to show the younger SMU players what dedication looks like. They want to be an example of what friendship can accomplish.

Sticking together gave Watts and Patterson an experience they'll never forget. And it's a journey that still has a long ways to go.

"Honestly, I don't think I could have gone through college without her," Patterson said "We've hit some really high highs and some really low lows. It'll be weird not playing again together, but we'll be best friends for the rest of our lives. Of that I'm sure."