Fan Support Shows Its True Colors At Men's Volleyball

At basketball games, the crowd is called the sixth man. At football games, it’s called the 12th man. And at a rematch of the Molten Division III National Invitational Championship between Vassar College and Springfield, it’s called the dress-up-crazy and scream-your-butt-off Vassar fan section.

With the bleachers of the Kenyon Hall Volleyball Court so packed that students were forced to stand with their toes barely out of bounds, Vassar seemed to have all the makings of a true fan section. But this is Vassar, and in typical anti-mainstream form, some students dressed up as video game characters, wore spandex from the 1980s or put fairy wings on their backs. Nevertheless, the crowd certainly made an impact.

The Brewers, seeking to avenge a 3-0 loss to Springfield in last year’s championship, held a 10-6 lead in the fifth and final set. Then, Springfield fought back and took five straight points from the Brewers to take an 11-10 advantage. And with the Brewers facing two match points, at the 13-14 and 14-15 marks, the crowd rose to its feet with deafening noise similar to that of Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. And both times, the visitors faulted on the serve.

This is certainly not to take anything away from Vassar’s AVCA 2008 All-American duo of seniors Phil Tully and John Kessenich, which tallied 20 kills to go along with 19 digs and 53 assists> Nor the three other Brewers who hit double figures in kills: Sophomore Evan Fredericksen had 13, seniors Greg Maier Steve and Steve Micucci each added 12. It is only to point out the benefit of having a crowd that truly gives its team a home court advantage.

Not often does one see a team (Vassar) applaud its fans for their support after a loss, unless it’s the last game of a season. And it is even less common to see the visiting team (Springfield) applaud the home team’s crowd. But such was the case on Friday. And with players from both teams waving to the crowd and giving thanks for being able to play in such a unique environment, Vassar students, spandex and all, let out one last cheer and showed just how unique they really are.

Dressing up does have its place in sports. Just look at the National Football League where grown men put on wigs and pig noses, dress like Ms. Piggy and call themselves The Hoggets while cheering for the Washington Redskins. However here's some food for thought from where I sit: What separates those fans from that of Vassar is that they have been there even during losing seasons.

Let’s just hope that the Vassar fan section will be cheering even if they aren’t watching a nationally ranked team.