Emma Grome, right, and Erin Lamb enjoyed a NCAA Tournament win this year but they may have had even more fun with their version of Carpool Karaoke to promote UK volleyball. (UK Athletics Photo)
Not only was sophomore Emma Grome the SEC Player of the Year and a second-team All-American — she had 1,282 assists in 30 matches along with 229 digs, 44 kills and 34 service aces — but she also had a unique marketing idea to promote volleyball during the season.
Grome and sophomore Erin Lamb did their own version of “Carpool Karaoke” — a recurring segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden — from a golf cart riding around campus before some matches.
“It was just a spur of the moment idea. We would take people to class or the dorm or wherever they wanted to go as long as they would sing with us. It was a great way to promote our games,” Grome said.
Grome wasn’t sure how UK coach Craig Skinner and UK media relations would feel about the idea.
“Craig loved it and thought it would be a great idea to get people more involved with the team,” Grome said. “We got to talk to fans and be a little goofy. We did some throwback music and a few different things. We would try to switch it up so it was not the same every time.”
That’s kind of the same thing the Kentucky volleyball players do during matches when they dance on the sideline during breaks in play.
Grome said she did not know about the UK volleyball dance tradition when she signed with Kentucky.
“I live in Cincinnati so I came to a lot of games and saw them doing all that stuff and saw how much fun it was,” Grome said. “But I think we just happen to have people with good rhythm, so it works out well.
“I have not seen a lot of other teams do it. Sometimes people have their own little cheers but I think it is definitely something unique about our team.”
Could she ever envision John Calipari’s basketball players doing something like that at a game?
“No, I don’t think so,” Grome said. “But it shows a little bit about our (volleyball) culture and how we like to have fun but stay focused and it brings energy to the team and people love it.”
