Hundreds of cheering students packed Paulson Center bleachers as NYU Athletics kicked off Friday’s women’s volleyball game with “Tear It Up!” — a decades-old athletics department tradition brought back for the 2025-2026 season.
First formed in 2005 and now renewed after a yearslong hiatus, “Tear It Up!” is an event series that puts on special activities at NYU sports games, intended to strengthen fan engagement and Violet pride. Friday’s event began with an introduction to the men’s and women’s basketball teams, where cheerleaders lined up on the court, celebrating players as they came out one by one.
“It’s kind of like an introduction, so our fans get to know the players before they end up getting onto the court,” NYU Athletics Events and Marketing Manager Adam Fazlee, who organized the event, told WSN. “We thought it might be a good idea to partner with the volleyball team as well, so we can bring a different set of eyes to volleyball too.”
While the women’s volleyball season is well underway, having started in late August, basketball season doesn’t pick up until November. The collaboration bridges the gap between fans of the two sports, designed to cross-pollinate audiences. Fazlee aims to increase school spirit, especially among students who aren’t typically involved in NYU’s sports scene.
“The most rewarding thing today would be getting kids who had no idea who the basketball team was — they just came through because they were excited about meeting new people,” Fazlee said.
Around 5:30 p.m., basketball shootouts began as each team picked participants from the bleachers to participate in a free throw competition. A favorite of the night was 10-year-old Joseph Fittipaldi, who demonstrated his three-pointer skills to the crowd.
“I feel good,” Fittipaldi told WSN, reflecting on his performance. “Winning a free-throw contest and making it is crazy.”
The Violets shared a similar enthusiasm about the event’s atmosphere.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Serenity McNair, a sophomore guard on the women’s basketball team, said. “I enjoyed the support and getting the men’s and women’s teams together — it was really nice. It was a good sense of community.”
Senior forward and guard Caroline Peper was most struck by the event’s unforgettable buzz.
“The lighting, the music, the environment — you get chills just because everyone’s got their eyes on you,” Peper, a two-time NCAA Division III champion, said. “Ultimately, everyone was super excited to do it.”
Among the standout moments of the evening was a live acoustic set by Steinhardt sophomore Ellie Lynch, who works in special events at NYU Athletics. She performed Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York” and Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” before singing the national anthem.
Lynch told WSN that she had been talking to her bosses in the athletics department about collaborating more with arts programs at NYU — after they learned of her background in singing, she was invited to perform at the event.
The night ended with the women’s volleyball team’s 3-0 sweep against Hunter College.
Ahead of next month, all eyes are on NYU’s women’s basketball team, which has gone undefeated for all 62 games of the last two seasons — the eighth-longest streak in NCAA women’s basketball history at any level. With nearly a third of the Violets squad being new players this year, the team is working to find its new identity while maintaining its record-breaking success.
“This year’s gonna be an exciting year,” Peper said. “It’s awesome to have that in our rearview mirror, but ultimately we’re focused on this year and all the new people we have and the experience they bring.”
Contact Daphne Zhu at [email protected].