This week in Arkansas volleyball

Click here to meet some former Lady’BacksDear Future Razorbacks, The SEC is so even this year! What an experience to have to battle each and every match. There are no easy wins and that is the way we like it. What better way to prepare us for the NCAA Tournament. This weekend is no different. We are about to see two tough teams and for the second weekend in a row, we are on the road. We match up against #8 Florida, the conference favorite, on Friday. The game should be exciting because they are expecting a huge crowd. They have delayed the match one hour ,8:00 pm EST, so that their midnight madness crowd can come early to watch the game. Sunday we will play against Auburn. They have beaten some pretty tough teams already and have decided to move our match into their larger arena. From that, I can only assume they are also expecting a large crowd. I see a pattern for us this weekend. Big crowds for bigger wins!

I love playing in front of a rowdy, loud crowd. Don’t get me wrong, I would prefer it if they were all Razorback fans but never the less, a large crowd makes a fun atmosphere. The key to being successful on the road in front of crazy fans is to let the crowd’s energy feed into your team’s energy. Some coaches tell their players to ignore the crowd but I say, "Let’s use it to our advantage!" I find that when I am coaching in front of a large audience, I feel my adrenaline pump up and I remember why I like sport so much. The athletes can use the enthusiasm from the crowd to pump them up. It feels great to perform in front of people and our players definitely get a rise from it. Everyone likes a good game, coaches, athletes, and fans alike. This weekend, a good game is what we are going to give them! Keep in touch and Go Razerbacks! Sincerely, Chris Poole