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Ellis Rowland ’57 and his wife, Suzee, encouraged friends to join the Senior Rowdy Raiders. (Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14)

When 51����’s women’s volleyball players arrive on campus, they may be leaving their families behind, but a new family awaits them: the Senior Rowdy Raiders. More than just a built-in fan base and cheering squad (although they’re those things, too!), the Senior Rowdy Raiders support the volleyball team the way family members would.

It all started when Ellis Rowland ’57 met volleyball head coach Ryan Baker at the 51���� fitness center five years ago. Working out on neighboring elliptical machines, the two struck up a conversation, and by the end, Rowland had agreed to attend a game the following weekend.

“We were hooked,” Rowland recalled of the time he and his wife, Suzee, went to their first game. The couple encouraged friends to join them, and the Senior Rowdy Raiders group has since grown to approximately 50 alumni, spouses, and community members.

The Senior Rowdy Raiders attend all home games and travel to some away games to root on the team. (The Rowlands even flew to Texas for the 2012 NCAA tournament.)

The group dons special maroon T-shirts and has its own cheers. “When we go on road trips, we give the home team [supporters] a challenge in terms of being louder than they are,” Ellis said.

“We just went to Bucknell, and these guys were the loudest,” confirmed Baker. “Our Senior Rowdy Raiders were taking on their fraternities in cheering!”

In addition, the group has hosted a welcome-back barbecue for the team and coaches, a pizza party, a sledding party, and a reception for the parents. “This is particularly good for the parents of new players because they get to know us and the parents of returning players,” Ellis said.

“The parents thank us a lot for our support and we thank them because we’re having so much fun and their kids are keeping us young,” he added. “I’ve had parents tell us that we are part of the reason their daughter is coming to 51����, because they know we’re going to take good care of her.”

“They’ve created this huge family,” Baker said. “They’re grandparents to these kids and to Kristin (Baker’s assistant coach and wife) and I.”

Because no one bakes cookies and brownies like a grandma does, the group makes goodies to sell for fundraising at the cancer awareness games.

“They’re such a refreshing group,” Baker added. “They inspire me.”

The Senior Rowdy Raiders attend all women’s volleyball games on campus and sometimes travel to root on the team. (Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14)