Tarleton Volleyball sets attendance record during Homecoming week

BY GAVIN PATRICK / Multimedia Journalist

1129 fans turned out at Wisdom Gym for Thursday’s volleyball match against Abilene Christian, the highest attendance for a volleyball game in school history.

This bested the previous high of 864 set on October 3. That one, however, wasn’t set during Homecoming week, the time where school spirit reached a pinnacle.

Homecoming week at Tarleton State University is always around the second or third week of October, which is also right in the thick of volleyball season. Spirit organizations are in full-fledged super fandom, the student section is out of their seats, the president and athletic director are out; everything just feels different.

On the volleyball court, with sound bouncing off the hardwood, the uptick in decibels couldn’t be more apparent. Being in the center of it all, no one felt that energy more than the players.

“The crowd was awesome,” junior middle blocker Emma Burke said after Thursday’s match against Abilene Christian. “They’ve shown out, supported us, they’re up, they’re enthusiastic; it’s really great to have that support.”

The game itself was a thriller. The Texans rode the energetic atmosphere early, winning the first set 25-19. The subsequent two sets saw the script flip, though, with the Wildcats taking a 25-19 advantage in each.

The Texans hadn’t won multiple sets in a game in almost three weeks, but they responded in the fourth, 25-20, and kept the match going. However, they were out of gas at that point, and a number of miscues led to them falling in the fifth set, 8-15.

That’s not to say the crowd didn’t get their money’s worth.

Senior outside hitter Allison Bryant turned in one of the best games of her career, notching a career-high five aces, 27 points -- her second most of the season -- and 21 kills. Burke wasn’t too shabby either, leading the team with seven blocks.

In all, both players appreciated the support they got on what turned out to be a historic day for Tarleton Volleyball.

“All the plowboys, frats, sororities -- all the different organizations always show up, and we love to have them,” Bryant said.
“For sure,” Burke added. “We had a great turnout today, and we love to keep seeing them throughout the year.”