2,000 fifth-graders power UAA volleyball with ear-splitting energy

The Anchorage School District brought 2,000 fifth-graders to the Alaska Airlines Center. The fifth-graders brought the noise.

The raucous students cheered UAA’s volleyball team to victory over Western Washington in three straight sets. Ear-splitting enthusiasm began at player introductions. Middle blocker Bella Burney said the energy boosted performance on the court.

“It was crazy,” Burney said as she signed dozens of autographs after the game. “It was so loud, but it was awesome for all the support.”

District spokesperson Corey Allen Young said this was the second year fifth-graders have attended a game together at UAA. Last year, students supported the men’s basketball team. ASD’s student nutrition services provided lunches for the young sports fans. In addition to having fun, the event was designed to let them experience a college campus, which some may have never visited before, he said.

UAA hitter Larssen Anderson said the noise was deafening, and she noticed a contingent from her alma mater, Bayshore Elementary School, near the front row. Arena-wide, students danced to “Y.M.C.A.,” played air guitar, tried to catch free T-shirts and cheered every Seawolf point. A couple students had players sign their foreheads when it was over.

“It’s a blessing to be able to play in front of a bunch of local Anchorage kids,” Anderson said.

UAA wraps up its regular season with a match against Simon Fraser at the Alaska Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon. The Seawolves are now 15-12, and 9-8 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

It wasn’t the first time in the past week that a big crowd has packed Alaska Airlines Center to cheer on the Seawolves. Last Saturday, the team broke the Division II single-game attendance record with 4,388 people watching UAA take on rival UAF.

[Alaska’s volleyball community turns out to help UAA break NCAA attendance record for 2nd time in 3 years]