You can feel the sheer adrenaline from outside the doors. The restless cheers and blasting music rattle the white-bricked building and the magnetic energy inside calls your name. You step into what can only be described as a roaring colosseum, bursting with excitement that rises to the wooden beams, fills the stands with eager anticipation and bounces off the glossy hardwood floor from player to player as they prepare to battle fist and forearm for glory. This is the Justice Center, home of UNC Asheville’s volleyball team and they are about to secure a grueling four-set victory over North Carolina Central.
The date is Tuesday, Sept. 16, and we’re courtside seconds before the first serve of the match.
The silence is deafening. I take a sharp inhale as my finger hovers over the mouse, ready to click the first reception to fire up the scoresheet. I’m down on the court just to the left of the net, front seat views for the next 90 minutes of quick-fire action. I’m in control of keeping track of the score, using a laptop to input players, passes, blocks and aces fed to me by the spotter on my shoulder. It’s a whirlwind head rush of clicks, digs and clocking substitutions. Suddenly everything in my peripheral vision blurs and I’m laser-focused on the next set and attack. Point Bulldogs or point Eagles.
The ball hurtles towards the far right corner of the court and the crowd erupts. The Justice Center is once again electrified.
“You can just feel the energy, feel that momentum which helps drive our team to be better for the crowd and for everybody that supports them,” said Danielle Marante, head coach of UNCA’s volleyball team.
This is Marante’s house. She’s a natural on the court, snatching the attention of her players in those precious couple seconds of exhale in between plays. She’s so invested, charging the court with positive commands and encouragement. Collected, poised and attentive to every flinch and dive.
“It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions. I think the biggest thing is I try to be very consistent and calm,” Marante said. ”There are moments I’m super excited when we’re making great big plays and when we’re not successful in certain areas there is frustration but I try to be very consistent on how I react so the girls know what to expect.”
”I like being that voice on the sidelines that reassures them.”
The horn bellows and it’s Asheville’s time out. The printer on my table whirs in resistance, spitting out hot score sheets of hard work and calculated teamwork. I take two to Asheville and put them into the outstretched hand of Jason Morris, coaching assistant, who then turns back into the hushed circle of heaving breathing, sharp directions and anxious sips of Gatorade. Someone throws a towel to the ground next to the bench which has been cold all set, the players hooked on every hit of the ball and now firing words of strength and determination accompanied by high-fives and backslaps around the circle.
“Everyone has to be bought in during the game,” said Lydia Pate, redshirt junior and middle blocker on the team. “Everybody’s energy has to be high as the players feed off it the entire game.”
With 15 seconds on the countdown clock I glance up at Hannah Coello, another student worker and ball retriever for today’s match. Eyes fixed on the ball, her full attention is on the players and their next moves.
“Volleyball is such a fast paced sport. Watching the game you really can’t look away for a second without missing something,” Coello said.
Coello played volleyball throughout high school. She said she loved the speed of the game and how it forced her to stop thinking about everything else and just focus on the game.
The Claxon sounds once again. Coello blinks. Marante clears her throat. Pate yells encouragement.
The audience roars.
According to Pate, when you’re on the court you can hear everything, especially the cheers from the bench. Negativity is never tolerated.
Positivity, mandatory. Luckily that comes easy to the Bulldogs. As I tap away, darting my cursor from left to right in sync with the ball, the energy from the bench is infectious. Arms shoot into the air and Adidas stripes stomp into the ground instinctively, reflexes subconscious from years of playing such an emotionally invested team sport.
“It’s the positive stuff that can build our team up and really create the confidence necessary for a win,” Pate said.
Occasionally I walk the outline of the court as a shortcut to class. There is no starker contrast than the Justice Center at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday and the Justice Center on a home volleyball game night. It becomes a powerhouse. The powerhouse of UNC Asheville volleyball.
Have I convinced you to come to the next home game yet?
