As the Fall semester begins to invade the life of college students, the leaves begin to fall, the weather begins to chill, and the entire student body seems to be rallied behind the football team. But what about the volleyball team? They practice just as hard and invest just as much time into their craft.
Ashley Johnson, a junior at Morgan State University, is a member of the women’s volleyball team. She plays outside end. Johnson, who is from Sacramento, California, proves that athletes do not only travel across the country to play football.
Coming from Sacramento, Johnson is used to being in a more diverse setting. At Morgan State University, it is different. “I always wanted to go to an HBCU, and here they were more than a team, they were like a family,” Johnson says.
The volleyball teams always receive respect because the are student athletes, but not everyone always understands exactly why they should support the team.
“I always knew that the girls volleyball team worked very hard, and they have so much potential, I made it a priority to get them coverage.” Sholape Oriola, director of MSU Television Sports division says.
Johnson was recruited in a tournament in Las Vegas which tournament allows players who were not recruited to showcase their talents. “I had 25 letters of interest, and once I sent them highlights, I received 15 back,” Johnson says. She also explains how University of Maryland Eastern Shore was the most persistent, but in the end, she chose to join the team she says that was more like a family. That she says is why she became a Morgan State Bear. “At the beginning of our season, I always stress team unity and relying on each other to get us through difficult times,” volleyball coach Ramona Riley Bozier says.
In the state of Maryland, volleyball is considered a sport that people play at family reunions, but not many women look to earn a living playing. “In California, volleyball is more competitive. “ Johnson states. Maryland’s big time college sport is lacrosse, and in California, lacrosse would be secondary. “We get a lot of recruits from California, Texas, and Florida because volleyball is a huge sport in these states,” Kevin Paige Assistant Record Director of Athletics Communication says. There are five other players from the state of California that were recruited to play volleyball at Morgan State.
Johnson expresses how it would be nice to gain support from the student body. “They usually see us playing as they walk past and sometimes stop in. Usually our friends and classmates will come out and support us.” The volleyball games average an attendance of 173 fans per game at home. On the road, the attendance has been slightly lower, with an average of 140 total fans per game. Brandon Moore, an alumni from Morgan States explains, “When I attended Morgan, the volleyball team was good, and we would stop in and watch the games, and maybe even if a friend invited us, we would stop by, but it was never something that we planned ahead of time for.”
As MSU television is growing, they are doing a lot of coverage on the volleyball team. Johnson explains that she and her teammates thought it was just a class project when she saw them covering a game vs. Coppin State University. They were excited to learn it was the station’s commitment. “It is really important that we support them, they put in as much time as the football team and the basketball team. Therefore ,I feel it very important to give them just as much coverage, as well as put as much effort into editing their videos,” states Dwayne Allen, a member of MSU television and a former of Morgan States Basketball team. However, Coach Riley-Bozier has not been aware of the coverage. But she along with other athletes have been granting interviews to a few students who have been attending the away games.
With the desire of attending a Division I school and attending an HBCU, Johnson has “killed two birds in one stone.” She is a key asset to the volleyball team. Her 82 kills this season ranks her fourth on the team. She also has six services aces, 27 digs, 13 blocks and three assists. “Seeing Ashley Johnson’s determination while we covered the game, I see exactly why she is an asset to the volleyball team,” Sholape Oriola says.
Photos Courtesy of http://www.morganstatebears.com
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