by Kylee D. Miller, Clarke Sports Information Intern

Hulk poster in hand and with a homemade hat fashioned out of an old volleyball on his head, junior graphic design major Jerry Bishop does not take his role as Clarke's super fan lightly. And Coach Kris Dorn's Crusaders have given Bishop plenty to cheer about. The Crusaders, who won 12 of their first 14 matches, have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation, matching the program's highest ranking in school history.

Bishop attends every men's volleyball game religiously. "I started out going to cheer on my brother," he said. "Then it became something the guys started to expect.

If Bishop isn't in the bleachers during warm-ups, the team notices. "Jerry just has to be there with his hat on," said freshman middle hitter Tyler Oehmen.

Bishop's twin brother, Andy, played as a defensive specialist for the Crusaders for two years. "We came up with the idea for my Hulk poster at one of the games. One of the players got mad and crushed a volleyball. So the poster says ‘Hulk Smash'," Bishop said.

Bishop has never cheered by himself in the stands, but a new club on campus is redefining what it means to be a super fan. The Clarke Hooligans started by junior physical therapy major Brian Cakes has transformed how students attend men's volleyball games. It is the first club on campus to be completely tied to Facebook. They send messages to all their fans about the evening's theme. For the game against St. Ambrose fans showed up with flyswatters to ‘swat' the Bees.

"I really like the atmosphere the Hooligans help create, but being a fan on facebook and actually showing up are two different things," said Bishop. "I think if it works this would be fun to expand to the other sports." The Clarke fan club the Benchwarmers have leapt onto facebook to increase participation.

But even the Hooligans can't match Bishop's enthusiasm for the sport. "I stopped playing in grammar school," said Bishop. "My teammates used to joke that I was taller standing then jumping. But I love to attend all the games and see them do so well."

When not watching the Crusaders win, Bishop stays involved on campus with a number of different activities. "I'm a member of Alive, a club started by Campus Ministry, a member of Gentlemen of Clarke, and was a Tuckpointer last fall," he said.

"I look forward to seeing what this Clarke team will do," Bishop said. "Coach Dorn seems really enthusiastic and good for the guys. They also have a lot of talented freshmen. Unfortunately, they have to work to fill in for Ethan Holly."

Holly, a senior middle hitter, suffered a career ending knee injury in the team's season opener.