CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- You don’t see too many college students playing Bridge, let alone know what it is, but one University of Virginia student says it’s taken her to national championships.

“It’s been a really cool experience to grow a club so quickly,” said Katie Sullivan, a third-year at UVA.

Sullivan knew she wanted to play Bridge while in college to keep up with her skills, so she started this club at the beginning of last semester.

“We do compete, we competed in collegiate nationals this summer, we’re taking a team to collegiate nationals in Toronto this summer as well, and we play in a lot of local tournaments,” she said.

Sullivan has picked the membership up to almost 50 students, but for her, it’s not about the number of participants, it’s about keeping the game of Bridge alive.

“There’s a really big push right now to get more young people into Bridge, and a lot of people are really excited with how well we’re doing and stepping up a club so fast,” said Sullivan. 

Sullivan hopes her story of stepping outside of her comfort zone and doing something she loves inspires other students at UVA.

“If you have a niche interest and you’re at UVA or any college, you know, be ambitious, try to get other people into it, you might be surprised in how well-received your interests are,” said Sullivan.

For students with an interest in Bridge, the club is looking for members for this upcoming season.