Sophomore Zach Valleroy distinctly remembers the volleyball match against the Florida Gators his freshman year.
“Standing on the floor in front of the student section, I was definitely excited,” he said. “I was cheering loudly. My friends and I really got into the game because it was so intense, and it was by far one of the best memories from freshman year.”
Missouri volleyball has had a strong season so far. They are ranked as one of the top 25 teams in the country, and they just won the Southeastern Conference championship.
At every home game, the official student section, VolleyZou, cheers loudly from the sidelines. The group promotes spirit at home games and around the Mizzou campus.
“Mizzou volleyball games offer an in-game atmosphere unlike any other Mizzou sport,” VolleyZou member Calvin Blaylock said. “You feel engaged and excited through every point because the student section seats are located just a few feet from the action.”
During the games, the students sit in a specific section close to the court, just feet away from the athletes. VolleyZou yells chants for the Tigers and cheers with them every point of the match. They also yell chants to heckle the opposing team’s players. The students hold up cutouts of players’ faces and wear matching Mizzou volleyball shirts to show their pride.
“We have chants for the Mizzou players when they serve,” freshman Mike Schwinn said. “When Courtney Eckenrode serves, we yell ‘Four!’ and pretend like we’re playing golf, because that is her jersey number.”
Along with their efforts during games, the volleyball players are also admired for their talents off the court.
“My favorite player is Julia Towler because she is an outstanding individual on the volleyball court, in the classroom and in the community,” Blaylock said. “I greatly admire who she is as an individual and how she uses her platform to immensely impact people in positive ways.”
VolleyZou is small in size. Although the student section for big games, such as the SEC championship, are larger, only around 10 members of VolleyZou typically show up to games during the regular season. Despite this, the efforts of VolleyZou do not go unrecognized by the players.
“The crowd is crazy,” sophomore middle blocker Alyssa Munlyn said. “Having people your own age watch you play is awesome. Having VolleyZou cheer us on is a great feeling and we love the support they give us all season long.”
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_