At every girls’ varsity volleyball game, the cheers and chants from the sidelines are heard as teammates use their strong bonds to support each other. The team’s enthusiasm has become a major part of their success in 30 games and qualifying for the California Interscholastic Federation [CIF], showing how their cheering doesn’t only allow them to do well against some teams, but enough to get into a high level.
Emma Christenson, senior and outside hitter, loves how the players on the sideline help create motivation through their energetic chants. By players contributing to the chants in a different way, a loud and positive atmosphere is created.
“I feel like when we have a lot of energy on the sidelines, it pushes people on the court to do better, and it makes you want to play for other people instead of just for yourself,” Christenson said.
Playing while people cheer makes the experience more memorable, and for Keira Overbeck, senior and setter, the positivity coming from her fellow teammates helps the games be enjoyable.
“There’s a lot of cheering that goes into it, and also at practice, everyone is pushing each other to be the best they can be,” Overbeck said. “And everyone’s trying their best, and that definitely helps the people who play more, be better and be stronger throughout the game.”
All three girls’ volleyball teams cheer on varsity from the side, no matter the grade. Emmery Reynolds, sophomore, middle blocker and outside hitter, feels motivated during games because of freshman players cheering for her and watching with pride. Reynolds strives to play well for not only her team, but also for the younger players watching her.
“I feel like it’s very motivating for them, which makes us motivated,” Reynolds said.
When the team scores or wins a set, all the players come together as one, hit the ground, and yell, “ace ace ace.” Winning chants aren’t the only chants they do. When a player gets a kill, they chant, “Reese’s puffs Reese’s puffs, eat ‘em up, eat ‘em up, eat ’em up.”
“We go into our team room, and we just scream really, really loud, and we just are having a good time,” Reynolds said.
Strong cheers and team bonding help to create a superior environment for varsity volleyball players. Christenson believes that to have a good team, there can’t just be good players, but there also needs to be a strong team bond.
“I’ve been at a lot of different schools, and we never did as much team bonding as we did here,” Christenson said. “And I think that’s what helped us get on the court, and it made us be successful this season.”
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