Frelhman leah Tepe letl for freshman hiller Zanda Hardin Nov. 3 against Ouac hita Baptist University. Tepe was Freshman of the Year for the Gulf South Conference. ·Jeff Montgomery Frelhman Zanda Hardin and junior Tiffany Marrilan meet at the net to block an opponent's hit Oct. 8 during a tournament at Henderson State University. Harding beat West Georgia 3-0. ·Russell Keck Dedicated fans cheer on team Thescreeching ofsupporters could be heard echoing throughout the Rhodes Field House and across campus for every game. Cheers, chants and a constant array of screaming fans accompanied the Harding women's volleyball team each cime the tcam played. A group of students, who called themselves the Bisons Volleyball Fans, supported the team throughout the season. Theyspent every homegame, and a fe\v ofthe closer away games, cheering on the Lady Bisons. Unlike most volleyball F.l.I1S, members of the BVF came up with custOm cheers and nicknames for every player on Harding's roster. The fanatic effons caught the attention of the volleyball players. "One thing I love is that they even give liS nicknames and make up their own volleyball cheers," sophomore Meredith Rosenbaum, defensive specialist, said. "It's so personal and SO encouragi ng." llle group sraned in the spring of2005 after some of the members played volleyball with women from the team in the off·season. They developed friendships with the players and felt that the team needed more suppOrt from the studencs, senior Trey Bliss, BVF member said. "We really JUSt wam to supporr them," Bliss said. "It's fun to go all om for the people you know." With me suppon of the BVF, the Lady Bisons posted a 15·1 home record and an overall record of 33·5. Head Coach Keith G iboney said he thought much of the success of the program could be attributed to the team's dedicated fans. "We are a tOugh team at home; a lot ofthis is due to our fans," G iboney said. "They create a great environ· ment for volleyball. It is such a momentum in games, and when we have it, their noise keeps us going." Giboney said the players loved playing home games because they fed off the fans' excitement. "[The players] love playing at home in the comfort of the Rhodes; their friends and fans," Giboney said. "1l1ey are definitely the besr fans in the Gulf South Conference." The atmosphere the BVFbrought to volleyball games was something the players appreciated. "My favorite thing about our &ns, and what I respect the most, is that they actually cheer for us," Rosenbaum said. "I'm sure our fans do their parr in trying to rattle the other team, but most of the time they are infO the game and know what is going on." .BarkleyTerry Junior Katie Weltmareland killl the ball at the middle of the net Oct. 18 in a match against Southern Arkansas University. Westmoreland had a total of 422 kills for the season. ·Russell K"k
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