JOHN LINDROOS
Uncertainty drives sports. Underdog teams can beat powerhouses. Teams can come back from 20 point deficits. One play can end or extend a team’s season. Sports can be unpredictable, but one constant is the support of certain fans.
This is no different at Don’s indoor sporting events, as the leaders of the Sobrato Center student section always show out. The core of the student section consists of senior history major Alana Loya, senior English major Brooke Schneider and men’s cross country and track runners senior Carter Lewis and sophomores Sahil Raj and Reid Headrick.
Standing at the inner front corner of the student section, Loya is a Dons superfan who can always be counted on to cheer on her school. She’s usually found wearing her thrifted gold and white reversible Dons jersey or one of her own custom knitted USF tops.
Inspired by Charli XCX’s “365 party girl” merchandise, Loya said, “I’m kind of a 365 Dons girl. I wake up, eat, sleep, breathe Dons. […] I love to be a fan and be a very passionate fan,” she said. “Don’s basketball, especially the men’s basketball being on the like, ‘What are we doing this week?’ ‘What games do we have?’ It kind of feels like every day, 24/7, 365 days a year.”
“Alana is probably the biggest Dons fan in the gym,” said Lewis. “She starts chants, cheers loud and supports the Dons if they win or lose. She also brings lots of friends to cheer with her. When other students see her level of enthusiasm, they decide to stand and cheer as well.”
Lewis continued, “This is a small school with a less than ideal level of school spirit. But when War Memorial Gym gets packed with over 4,000 people, I feel like I am part of something bigger than myself. It is an opportunity for all Dons students, alumni, fans and others in the city to come together and cheer for a common team.”
Before the spring of 2024, the lower level of the Sobrato Center was dedicated to those who paid for those seats. Students had to sit at the upper level bleachers.
While attending a volleyball game during Fall 2023, John Roberts, the assistant athletics director of marketing, sales and fan experience approached Loya and Schneider with a proposition.
Roberts envisioned USF having its own lower level student section, similar to other universities. Because Loya and Schneider were faithful supporters of indoor events, Roberts asked them to become student leaders and run the section.
“He gave us the permission and the opportunity and lower section tickets. And ever since then, there’s a couple of us who are the student section leaders,” Loya said.
Since then, the leaders’ responsibilities include maintaining a high level of energy in the section and keeping students up on their feet and cheering. Other responsibilities include pregame preparation, such as placing Foghorn newspapers on chairs for students to read during opposing team’s starting lineup introductions.
Loya said, “I think it’s really fun to feel kind of a part of something. And there’s something about, like the energy and being in that small environment that’s very emotionally charged. It’s very energizing,” she said. “I’ve always been very passionate and a very emotional, outward fan. But this season, I think was an especially meaningful one for me, because it was my last […] and last with the team.”
Loya typically arrives at games an hour and a half early. “I get really nervous before games, like more nervous than the players probably,” she said. “I run the scenarios of ‘What if they don’t let us in?’, ‘What if the game starts and we’re not in there?’ […] So the earlier I can get there, the better for sure.”
Her favorite memory was when USF beat Santa Clara 71-70 on Feb. 10, 2024, after Jonathan Mogbo knocked down two clutch free throws to seal the game. The Dons were down as many as 19 points to the Broncos, but a brawl between the two teams in the second half, which resulted in six ejected players, helped build momentum for a comeback.
Loya’s all-time favorite USF players include men’s basketball guard Jamaree Bouyea, women’s basketball guards Ioanna Krimili and Freja Werth, forward Debora Dos Santos and women’s volleyball player Maria Petkova.
To Loya, attending games has been much more than just a casual pastime, it’s a reminder of finding joy in life, especially in times of hardship.
Loya said, “About a week before the season started, I got a call from my dad. My older brother actually passed away in a car accident. […] [I] flew home with family, dealing with such heavy, intense grief, and dreading coming back.” She continued, “The Dons’ season opener was my first return to normal, and it was the first time that I didn’t feel consumed by grief. […] That first game back was really important for me, and was my first reminder after the loss that joy exists, and you’re passionate about things, and like that doesn’t just go away. And times are really hard, but there will be things that get you excited again, and keep you passionate, interested in what you’re doing.”
Loya said, “I think that was a very inspiring feeling for me the rest of the season, this is a safe space for me, and this is a space where I love to be and brings me so much joy. […] I just kind of hope being a fan, and basketball and being in these spaces, it doesn’t have to be just like you’re a fan watching an athletic event, it can be something a lot more meaningful and a lot more community based and special, because that’s what I really loved about it the most.”
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, News Editor: Deeya Gupta, Sports Editor: John Lindroos
