MO Stompin'

COLUMBIA— The MU volleyball team warms up on the court before its first tournament of the season gets underway. The video board lights up, and a new video excites the crowd.

Three young men wearing flat-billed caps and sunglasses drive through the empty MU campus in a golf cart. They walk out onto Speakers Circle with a boombox, and the beat starts.

The three, a local group known as MO Stompin’, begin to rap. VolleyZou coordinators and friends, Mizzou cheerleaders and Truman clap and dance to the beat on Mel Carnahan Quadrangle, the MU Columns and Speakers Circle during the video.

Coordinators of VolleyZou, MU volleyball’s official student spirit group, produced the YouTube music video at the end of May and officially launched it in August. With almost 5,000 views, VolleyZou coordinators are hoping interest created by the video will bring even more fans to the games.

Marketing graduate assistant Haleigh Harrold pitched the idea for the video to VolleyZou coordinators, who happily got on board. Harrold then sent an e-mail through the volleyball list serv to gauge interest. Within two hours, MO Stompin’ member Joel Brocato responded to the e-mail with what is now the first verse of the song:

Come one, come all

I would like to introduce you all to MU volleyball

Yeah, now let’s go to work

We don’t need a practice field, this floor is our turf

It’s where we swag and surf

So don’t come up in here cause my team will leave you hurt

Harrold presented MO Stompin’ with a list of the players and VolleyZou’s cheers for certain players.

“I was amazed at how well they incorporated that into the song,” Harrold said. “They did it on the very first try.”

The video, which was completely put together by MU students, only took three takes to film at each location.

“The guys in the video are just natural performers. They have so much charisma,” Harrold said. “There was no ‘Cut! Cut! We need to fix this!’ It was just everyone acting naturally, just having a lot of fun.”

Last year, VolleyZou tried a lot of marketing techniques and decided what worked and what did not. This year, the group is reaching out to students even more.

“At Summer Welcome, we played the video. It caught people’s eyes, drew them to the table,” Harrold said. "They signed up for VolleyZou, they asked what it was. Then, I think those people once they moved into the residence halls, they told their friends what VolleyZou was. I think that accounts for the attendance. People know what it is now. I think before, they saw it, signed up for it, but they didn’t know what it was.”

For the Tiger Invitational at the Hearnes Center, VolleyZou ordered 500 t-shirts to give to members who attended a match. Only 29 shirts went unclaimed.

“As far as the video, I think support will definitely grow throughout the season. Hopefully people will learn the words and sing along,” Harrold said.

VolleyZou is offering a special prize for any group that can best recreate the video.

“The most entertaining one will win a night with the team. They can watch pre-game practice, eat the pre-game meal, and then sit on the bench with the team,” Harrold said.

Anyone can perform the song and post a video on the VolleyZou Facebook page.

VolleyZou has been using social media such as Twitter and Facebook to spread the word of the competition and other events it is planning.

“Basically, it boils down to education,” Harrold said. “People know what VolleyZou is now. (Attendance) is not 100 percent. Of course we want 100 percent, but I’d say it’s a lot better than it ever has been.” - Columbia Missourian

KSDK/YouTube -- Last month, the Mizzou volleyball team commissioned a music video to raise awareness and school spirit for their team.

The VolleyZOU student spirit group contacted local rap act and shot this video on campus, featuring a golf cart, members of the spirit group and the school mascot, Truman the Tiger.

The results are interesting (and amusing) to say the least.

Click the video player on the right hand side of the screen to see and listen for yourself.


KSDK/YouTube - KSDK

So after the meeting Drew and I stayed up at Method for Thumpin Thursdays. This Is a new thing they are doing at the shop where they bring in local artists and Thump them beats till the early morning! Last night KC Rapper The Phantom, and Mo Stompin hit the stage and KILLLLED the show!!! If you don’t know them! now you KNOW! check em out! - ANGRYAPE

The Missouri Volleyball program is trying to get back in the NCAA tournament after a two year break, but would you believe a trio of frat boys from Lambda Chi Alpha might just help them get there.

At Missouri Volleyball games, you'll hear plenty of sounds from players, coaches, and fans, but you'll also hear something else before the match starts: rap.

"I didn't think it would be that professional or be that good," said Harrold.

Missouri Volleyball Marketing wanted a video for its cheering section, VolleyZou, so they talked to a group of Mizzou students called MO Stompin.

"We just be stomping on tracks and stuff," said Birk. He continued, "You got three white boys rapping there's going to be critics."

Because MO Stompin doesn't usually spin out volleyball verse.

Harrold said, "Really I just took him up to the office for ten minutes and jotted down some notes for him and he came back with a complete song. We switched two names in the song, that's it. He did it perfect the first time."

"I'd say on a scale of 1-10 it was a 7 on easiness," claims Birk.

"In the beginning we were harsh critics. We can't have this clip in there. Take this clip out. Change this," said Harrold.

The final product--a straight set win.

"Once I actually saw it I was like wow this is really good. These guys can actually rap," said senior outside hitter Julianna Klein.

"Everyone was like awesome I like it. So I was like alright," stated Harrold.


They shot the three and half minute video on campus.

Klein added, "I think one of the parts that I really like is seeing Wendy dancing in the background. We're all like guys, guys. It's Wendy."

They filmed it on Mother's Day weekend, and it even includes some walk-up dancers.

"There's two little girls and they have these extra long VolleyZou shirts on and they were just walking by and they were like what are you doing? Can we play? And we're like okay," recalled Harrold.

The video's gone viral. It has more than 30-thousand hits on youtube and national TV appearances on CNN and ESPN.

"I think it's really helped with our VolleyZou section because people know what VolleyZou is now, but I think it's gotten kind of cool to be a part of it," said Harrold.

Added Klein, "I couldn't have asked for something better."

Mizzou Marketing has a goal of 100-thousand views on You-Tube.

VolleyZou already has plans for another video next year.

MO Stompin' is the opening act for hip-hop artist Wale on November 12th at Jesse Hall.

For a link to the You-Tube video, head to the links and numbers section of our website, KOMU.com
- Eric Blumberg