While the six Nittany Lions compete on the court, sometimes the rest of the team has a block party.
After every big play the No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team makes, the players on the sideline partake in choreographed dance moves, with different moves symbolizing a different play.
The dance parties keep the players on the bench engaged and provide energy to the people on the court.
"It's a great thing for them to do on the side, and that way we know that they're having fun and they're enjoying what we're doing," junior libero Alyssa D'Errico said. "It let's us know that they're paying attention. Other benches aren't so rowdy and aren't so crazy, and that is a benefit to us."
Sophomore outside hitter Katie Kabbes is considered the mastermind behind the sideline dances, but she admitted she had no idea how they got started. She said the music played before matches and in between sets caused her and some of her teammates to dance, and it snowballed from there.
Some of the dances the players do include what they call "block party." This is the team's favorite as they jump around, throwing their arms in the air and singing. Freshman outside hitter Darcy Dorton makes the move her own by weaving in and out of her teammates in a snake-like manner.
The Lions also celebrate aces by dancing as though they're airplanes. Dorton said the team doesn't really have a specific dance for kills, but the bench gets riled up regardless.
"The bench brings so much energy to the court," Dorton said. "We're just always doing little silly, goofy things on the sideline to keep the energy up and get people excited."
Kabbes said the team's favorite place to play is Michigan State because music is played throughout the arena after every point. Kabbes said the Lions are constantly dancing during that match because the music gets them going.
Penn State coach Russ Rose said although he usually doesn't pay attention to what the bench is doing, he does know how much they like playing in East Lansing because the lights get turned off when the team is announced, and they do what Rose calls a "Chicago Bulls introduction."
He said he appreciates the player's energy because it shows the Lions are having fun, which he said is exactly what they should be doing.
"We play best when we're loose and having fun," Kabbes said. "We play this sport because we love it. We try to keep some of the pressure off. We just need to keep having fun and bring that element back to the game."
While the players on the court appreciate and feed off of the enthusiasm from the bench, some of the team's opponents think it is a distraction, Rose said.
But that is not a concern of his or his team's.
"They're young and they need to have fun, and I'm certainly not gonna stop them from doing that," Rose said. "Every now and then people will make comments to me that the girls are getting a little out of hand. I figure as long as they're keeping their clothes on they're not getting out of hand."
