Coach Steve Aird encourages his players during the Terps’ loss in straight sets to Michigan State on Oct. 17, 2014 in Xfinity Pavilion.
In the Terrapins volleyball team’s inaugural Big Ten campaign, it finished ninth in the conference in average home attendance at 1,539 fans.
With conference play set to start Friday as No. 9 Illinois visits College Park, coach Steve Aird has placed an emphasis on improving the atmosphere at Xfinity Pavilion. On Tuesday, Aird held the Terps’ second annual open practice to provide students a chance to see the team and interact with the Terps at the end of practice.
Aird helped raise the average attendance by more than 1,000 in his first year with the program, and he has his sights set on continuing that trend.
“We’re just in the beginning stages of where this is going to be,” Aird said. “When people come to matches, they have a good time. Friday’s going to be really fun and hopefully a big crowd, too.”
As Tuesday’s practice ended, Aird stood at the center of the Terps’ huddle and sent his players into the crowd to talk with the students who had come out to the open practice. Outside hitter Adreené Elliott, known for her variety of different hairstyles, made her way into the bleachers, shook hands with some students and started a conversation with junior Courtney Johnson.
“We were just talking about natural hair,” said Johnson, whose hair was in a tight bun. “She’s kind of my hair idol. I love her hair.”
While the topic of conversation doesn’t matter much for Aird, he is focused on students like Johnson. Getting fans committed to attending matches will help bolster the overall attendance.
Last year, Nebraska led the Big Ten with an average attendance of 8,083.
“I just want it fun. I want the fans to enjoy the way we compete,” libero Amy Dion said. “I just want a big crowd that loves watching us play.”
Similar to The Crew, an ardent group of students who turn out for soccer games, the Terps have their own official student section, called the “Maryland Mob.” Aird’s focus is getting it up to the caliber of other Big Ten schools.
“The Big Ten has some of the best student sections in the country,” Aird said. “We’ve been here about 16 months, so it’s in its infancy, but it’s something I’m committed to building.”
For Dion, it’s important to create a great student section culture, not just to stay on the level of other Big Ten schools, but also so the team can feed off fans’ energy.
“A good student section can sway a team five to seven points, easy,” Dion said. “Not only are you playing a top-tier team, but then you have the crowd on top of you screaming. That’s a huge difference in the match.”
Elsewhere in the crowd Tuesday, Dion and fellow libero Dani Bozzini laughed with three students. For junior Deshaun Harris, a Mob member and frequent attendee of matches, it was nice to have a chance to talk to the players.
“It’s more surreal. It’s definitely a cool interaction,” Harris said. “It’s a lot less intense than the games, and they’re not as tired as they usually are after games.”
The Terps are focused on improving from their 3-17 Big Ten record last year, and while that involves strides on the court, the Terps recognize the importance of having an electric home environment.
And getting a chance for the Terps to meet their supporters was a nice change of pace with Friday’s conference opener looming.
“To actually be able to talk to them and communicate with them is awesome,” Dion said. “This is something really great, for the students to get to know us on a different level.”
