Hellraisers make Gregory Gym the "Horns' House"
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| A spirited group of UT students liven the atmosphere at Longhorns volleyball matches, answering the question of "whose house" they are in. |
What exactly is a Longhorn Hellraiser, you ask? A Longhorn Hellraiser is someone who loves sports, bleeds burnt orange and loves The University. Longhorn Hellraisers support a variety of UT sports such as football, men's and women's basketball and volleyball, and make appearances at key games for soccer, baseball, softball and men's and women's tennis.
The idea for the Longhorn Hellraisers was sparked back in 1987 when two University of Texas students, Kevin Kosta Marcantel, who transferred from LSU, and Carl Yaquinto, who arrived from Michigan State, noticed the dearth of fan support at UT football games.
Like anyone coming from schools with raging team pride and spirit, they decided to form their own spirit group and bring their fanatical experience to the Forty Acres. Along with Art Brickey IV and Jim Spurr, the contagiousness of school pride attracted the four students to come together and officially start the organization in the fall of 1988.
The Longhorn Hellraisers are found at all the home volleyball matches, staked out in the south side-stands of Gregory Gym. Alongside the rowdy bunch, you will see the Longhorn Hellraiser Honeys, the female version of the Hellraisers. It would be hard for anyone attending a UT sporting event not to notice this group of die-hard, passionate fans. It's especially harder for one not to notice them at volleyball matches.
Before each match, several Hellraiser traditions take place. In the "Hellraiser Huddle," "Texas Fight" can be heard three times followed by strains of the singing of "The Eyes of Texas" which can be heard as the Hellraisers and Honeys enter the gym.
With faces painted, bodies decked out in burnt orange and white Hellraiser attire and voices warmed up, the Hellraisers and Honeys come prepared to support their teams, win or lose. These two organizations have added an incredible amount of enthusiasm at volleyball matches, helping keep the crowd involved and getting the players pumped up.
"The Hellraisers are our biggest student fan base and our players really enjoy having them as part of the program," Texas head volleyball coach Jerritt Elliott notes. "They are kind of like our seventh man. They bring a lot to the court energy-wise and they are starting to get some cheers going on with our bench and other fans, which make this environment special. I think the Hellraisers enjoy it and feel like part of the UT volleyball program."
When the Hellraisers get fired up, it's pretty hard to get them to settle down. That type of excitement can have a definite effect on opponents coming into Longhorn territory.
With each block the volleyball team records, the UT bench yells out, "Whose house?" followed by "Horns' house!" projected loudly from the Hellraisers' section. That new tradition was started during the 2003 season by then-redshirt freshman middle blocker Leticia Armstrong.
"During one of our home matches, I shouted 'Whose house?' loudly after a big block and the Hellraisers answered back with 'Horns' house.' It's become something we do after every block now," Armstrong said. "It's great to get the fans involved in a fun way after we score."
"Along with that tradition, we also yell 'Texas Fight' at every serve, and when we are rallying back from behind, we do the 'rally bird' which is when we caw like birds," Hellraiser president John Hyde added.
This type of passion has rarely been seen at volleyball matches in the past. The student-aged fan support that the Hellraisers and Honeys bring to the atmosphere of Gregory is something that a lot of people are beginning to appreciate.
"We look forward to every home match because we know that the Hellraisers are going to come out with high levels of excitement," All-American Bethany Howden said. "They all help get us pumped up for the game. The Hellraisers are great and are really loud. I'm glad that they come and support UT Volleyball."
If you still think that the Hellraisers don't add to the success of the volleyball program, ask Elliott. He'll tell you different.
"They add spirit to the event in a positive manner and there is no question that they add to the atmosphere at Gregory. We wouldn't be as successful at home without the help of the Hellraisers," Elliott said.
So the next time you make your way to a volleyball match — or any UT athletic event — make sure you look out for the section of Longhorn Hellraisers and Honeys. Be sure to join them in the cheers, yells and overall spirit they bring to UT Athletics.
The Hellraisers and Honeys help make each of the Longhorns athletic venues the "Horns' House," making it that much more difficult for the opposition to come in and steal a win from Texas. Indeed, if what they have done at volleyball is any indication, their efforts are working as planned.
