Volleyball teams keep gyms rocking

[KFDM COOP]

Volleyball teams keep gyms rocking

Gabriel Pruett

The Orange Leader

Volleyball gyms are never quiet.

The players are smacking the ball, whistles are blown and coaches are yelling out at their teams.

In between points and stoppages of play are the most exciting moments of racket around.

Volleyball players chant and do dancing skits.

Most of the chants and yells are all based off traditions passed down through the years while new ones pop up on a yearly basis.

After talking to a couple teams in the area, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears have been labeled “The Queens of the Chant.â€

LC-M senior Morgan Blohm said the Lady Bears first began to learn the chants when the players were younger.

“It all just comes from tradition,†Blohm said. “The ‘Rufio’ chant came from Ashley Castino.â€

Blohm also said chants come from playing in clubs and tournaments when teams take bits and pieces from one team’s chant and mix it with their own.

“That’s a big thing,†Blohm added. “You hear it there and bring it back with you.â€

Over in Bridge City, the Lady Cardinals have their own sound and chant just as much as any other team.

Senior Lauren Angelle agreed with Blohm in saying most of the chants are hand-me-downs which come from years of practice.

“I think its fun because it pumps us up for the next play,†Angelle said. “It is certainly a positive.â€

What is sometimes not a positive is hearing an opposing team chant after your team makes a mistake.

An opponent’s chant just does not sound as good.

“I am sure other teams think our chants are stupid but we like them,†Angelle said. “I never get embarrassed while out there. I have five other people on the court so if I look dumb — so do they.â€

One of Angelle’s favorite chants comes when an opponent lifts the ball after a Bridge City hitter sends the ball over the net.

The Lady Cardinals come together and yell, “Aww, thanks for the lift,†as if a taxi cab just dropped them off at a nice restaurant.

“They are usually old,†Angelle added. “The seniors before had them and we kept them. That is really usually how it goes or we go to tournaments and see others and add stuff to them to make them ours.â€

Besides a bunch of chanting and dancing, the Lady Bears take the step a little further.

The Lady Bears love to hug in time outs and before games.

“Yes we do hug a lot,†LC-M senior Kristi Trahan said. “We love our team. We are all really close with each other. We motivate each other and always clap to get our little team going.â€

Blohm said LC-M’s prayer in the middle of the court before e a match starts is one of the biggest parts of the night.

“When you run out you have so much anxiety,†Blohm added. “We take pride in what we do on the court. With all the hugging and clapping, our team loves it.â€