Trust me, the Darty party is just getting started

In case you have been living under a rock, the Mississippi State volleyball team is 22-5 (13-2 SEC), which includes a current 10-game winning streak. It is playing the best volleyball in school history and has almost as many wins this season as it did in head coach Julie Darty’s first three years combined.

I mention the first three years of Darty’s tenure, because they are important here. This team didn’t just decide, “Hey, let’s starting winning.” If it was that easy, programs across the country would have done it years ago. A program was built, quite literally from top to bottom, all by the hands of Darty and her staff.

It included major renovations to the locker room and film room. It was about winning in recruiting, getting valued transfers and grinding through tough losses. It was about building a culture, and a sustained one at that. It was about building the type of legacy that gets a volleyball court named after you. The hard work has paid off, but the project is far from being over.

What could possibly be missing?

The team has the 16th overall recruiting class headed this way for the Class of 2023. More renovations are underway on The Griss. The team is without a doubt an NCAA Tournament team, even with the fact the press and coaches won’t rank them. It seems the program has everything. But truthfully, they are missing you.

Mississippi State fans have proven time and time again that we will support all sports. Records were shattered for women’s basketball in this decade, along with long sellout streaks for football and baseball. Men’s basketball attendance is finally turning the corner when it comes to fan support, and it’s time for fans to do volleyball the same. Three long, hard years of work is what has been put in with this staff and roster, and playing in an empty arena is shitty, plain and simple.

To be blunt, there is nothing in it for me to “Pack The Griss.” I don’t get anything other than maybe props. I’m not on the marketing team and I’m nothing more than a fan. I’m fighting for this team because someone has to, plain and simple. I have now seen firsthand how this team works, every day. The 18 girls on that team deserve a packed house. The seven coaches deserve it. Hell, even the three managers deserve it. I hope if you have read this far, that I will see you there next Friday. Maybe, For Whom the Cowbell Tolls stickers will be there for those who attend. The bandwagon is pulling out of the station, and it is way past time to hop on.