Rams keep rolling: Energy of Riverview volleyball helps it reach "elite eight"

The Riverview High volleyball team made a statement on Oct. 30, and it was concise: We’re not here to mess around.

The Rams defeated Dr. Phillips High 3-1 to advance to the “elite eight” in Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 9A. It’s one round further than the Rams reached last season, coach Nickie Halbert’s first with the program.

I could talk about how dominant the team was in the fourth set, going up 8-1, then 13-4, then 20-6 before finishing off the Panthers at 25-14. I could talk about how, as Halbert said, the team plays better the more pressure it’s feeling. I could talk about the athleticism of the team, not just in its ability to rocket kills past defenders, but in its ability to save points that seemed (to me) impossible to save, diving for balls and keeping them off the ground by centimeters.

All of that has contributed to the Rams getting as far as they have. But I’d rather talk about how much fun they’re having.

Every point the Rams win is seemingly the most important point they’ve ever played, because they celebrate like they just won Mega Millions. Primal screams, fist pumps, high fives, arm raises, hugs: These are the “everything bagels” of celebrations, and they increase in intensity the more the Rams string points together, or get closer to winning a set. When the Rams’ play forces their opponents to call timeout, the roof flies off the gym. This gets the crowd going, too, and against Dr. Phillips, the student section (which was dressed in a Hawaiian theme for some reason?) was phenomenal, starting multiple chants and going wild when appropriate.

During set breaks, the Rams can be spotted dancing to the (quite good) music pumping through the gym. Whether it’s mouthing along to the Jackson 5’s “ABC,” or jamming out — one hand on a teammate’s shoulder — to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” the Rams are always moving.

The energy stems from the captains, senior Abby Quigley and junior Riah Walker, and flows through the rest of the roster. Walker said keeping the energy high during matches is part of the team’s game plan, and that it helps the Rams “stay scrappy” on the court. When the energy lapses, so does the focus, Walker said, and they can’t let that happen.

“We want that energy to be our difference-maker,” Halbert said.

I can give stats (Walker had 38 digs against the Panthers; sophomore Noa Askren had 16 kills) but I’m not well-versed enough in volleyball nuance to tell you why, exactly, this Rams team is different than past iterations. They feel different, though. They’re young — Quigley is the only senior — and they’re hungry. Watching them relish domination gets me amped, despite my best journalistic instincts.

If the Rams keep the energy up, they might just electric slide their way into the “final four.”

The Cardinal Mooney High volleyball team is also still alive, and if you read my column from a few weeks ago, you know how special that team can be. Both programs will next play Nov. 6, Riverview at Central High and Mooney vs. Oxbridge Academy. They will be two of the toughest matches the team have played all season, and both teams deserve the community’s support.