Members of the Penn State wrestling team swirled their shirts in the air as they ran around the Rec Hall's elevated track topless Friday. The student police didn't appreciate their enthusiasm, but Penn State women's volleyball head coach Russ Rose sure did.

"I appreciate the wrestling team; they were looking good," Rose said. "They're not drinking out there. It was puzzling to me that the student police had to get involved."

The police might have been able to break up some of the action, but there weren't enough of them to get a stranglehold on the thousands of fans at the weekend's women's volleyball matches. The fans were pumped for the Nittany Lions' first home matches of the season.

Sure, there weren't as many volleyball hooligans present for Saturday's early, 10 a.m. contest that pitted Penn State against the University of Pennsylvania. But on Saturday night, fresh off of a football game, 2,318 fans showed up to watch the Lions play Marshall.

"Football weekends are always great," senior Sam Tortorello said. "The fans always come out and give us support."

Most of the fans had a good amount of energy left over for that volleyball game. Not unlike a football crowd, there were the usual "We Are" chants, along with the "ooo-OH" during opponents' serves à la kickoffs at Beaver Stadium. "Hey Baby" was brought out on both nights, and the volleyball pep band even busted out the cowbell. Christopher Walken would have approved.

The Lions need more cowbell.

"So far from what I see the fans are a little bit more rowdy," Tortorello said. "There were a couple of cheers going on that really help us out."

On Friday in the match against Seton Hall, the crowd even attempted a full-on wave. The two sideline stands were almost filled, but the backline stands were almost empty, leaving only a few people as the link for the two sides to complete their in-game ritual. It was a valiant effort.

And the Penn State fans were on their feet for most of each night. The Lions made quick work of most of their opponents, getting their cheering audience off their feet for the game point without enough time for them to get comfortable in their seats. The cadence of the public address announcer's "Point..." which was answered by the crowd "Penn State" almost became hypnotic.

Some other fans took their intensity to another level. Observe the wrestlers, who had reason to want to take off their T's. Rec Hall was a virtual sauna this weekend, with new vinyl behind the bleachers preventing ventilation throughout the building. And the excitement in the air wasn't helping matters, either.

"We need to get the people to understand that it is a college athletic event, and they should be able to have fun and get crazy," Rose said.

Especially considering that nobody was hurt in the making of this episode of Rec Hall volleyball.

"It's not like there was a threat of someone getting knocked out of their wheelchairs."