MADISON, Wis. – Get an inside look at the eighth-ranked Badger volleyball team all season long as sophomore Nicole Shanahan writes a bi-weekly blog called Side Out with Shanny!

In her fifth blog, Shanahan, a 6-2 middle blocker from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, writes about how the bench keeps the energy up for the team and the crowd!

---

How can one appropriately celebrate Molly's float serve that dodges any opponent in its way before landing in the court for an ace? Or how about the crisp sound of the leather volleyball nailing the wooden floor from Duello's powerful swing? Or what about when Syd slams the ball over the net on the second contact, leaving everyone with their jaws dropped? This was the question our bench proposed to ourselves before the season started: how can we react to such greatness? Through time the answer has come easy to us- through a variety of different cheers.

The best way to respond to a smashing kill from our pin hitters is by creating a similar effect in our area. We huddle up, throw our hands into the middle of the circle, and whisper altogether, "tick…tick...tick…" before one loud, "BOOM!" In response to the loud BOOM, we jump in different directions.
 

When our opponent serves the ball out of bounds, we bring forth our personal Badger VB field goal unit. Mallory Dixon, the kicker, attempts to make an imaginary football through the arches of Mariah Whalen's hands. It just so happens that whenever our opponents miss the area they aimed for, so does Mal.



Two of my favorite cheers come from blocks or aces. Whenever we put up a wall the opponents can't seem to get passed, the bench comes together for one large block party. Similarly, whenever we get a point from a floating ace serve, we showcase our inner Katniss Everdeen by pulling back a bow-and-arrow. This represents us hitting our target, just as the server hit their target by finding the court for an ace.



One of our most passionate players is Sarah Dodd, and she gets very into the game. As a matter of fact, she is so passionate about what is going on that whenever Dana or T has a kill, she passes out! Fortunately, Danielle Hart is always there to catch her whenever she falls, and the rest of us make sure she gets some air to revitalize.



There are several ways our team responds to what goes on in the game. It is our job to take what we can control into our own hands and respond in a way that is best for our team. It is important to have control of our energy and make sure that we use it to keep the momentum on our side. A lot of our team's energy starts from the bench, and it is essential to do all we can to keep it up, even if that involves Dodd fainting from time to time.

As always,
On, Wisconsin!
Shanny