Elysse Holloway has spent the last four years of her busy life constantly giving 110% in everything she does. Holloway saw high school as just another bump on the road to success. Her hard work on and off the volleyball court led her to realize the dream of playing post-high school volleyball. Last week, she signed to play volleyball at Bethel University in MacKenzie, Tennessee.
Holloway has been playing volleyball for as long as she can remember. It quickly engulfed her whole life and became her number-one priority.
“I started playing volleyball during my freshman year and since then I have played four seasons of school volleyball and four seasons of travel/club volleyball,” she said.
She is constantly making memories throughout all of the teams she has been a part of, this being one of her favorite parts of the sport.
“My favorite part of playing volleyball is all the people I’ve met and how they have shaped the person I am,” she said. “I’ve had the privilege to have good coaches who believed in me and pushed me to be a better overall person.”
Some of her most memorable times came from when she had the opportunity to play with her sister, sophomore Olyvia Holloway, and learn from and teach her.
“I grew the most when I had to play with someone like her whom I was so familiar with but also had to learn how to see her as my teammate,” she said. “This also meant we had lots of time for great memories.”
This year has found Holloway very busy with practices and all the decisions she had to make.
“I manage my time by creating a schedule that works for me,” she said. “I try to make little goals during the week like getting assignments done by a specific time on a specific day so I don’t have to worry about finding time to squeeze them in. I also prioritize my health and sleep schedule, allowing me to feel more productive throughout the day and avoid athlete burnout.”
Holloway has many favored memories that she shares with other teammates. “One of my favorite memories from my volleyball career is the feeling of going undefeated and winning our Coyote Clash tournament earlier in my senior year,” she said. “I have played in this tournament twice now and being able to win it my senior year was so special. We fought very hard that day and I was so proud of my team for sticking with it and wanting to win for each other.
Other equally special memories were going to the Middle Tennessee State University camp and the pre-season travel tournaments every year,” she said.
With so much weight on her shoulders, Holloway likes to stay grounded by her number one role model.
“My biggest role model is my mom,” she said. “My mother has always shown the qualities and actions to inspire everyone around her to bе a bеttеr person. She has a selflessness and willingness engraved into her personality that pushes me to acquire these traits as well. I can credit my mother for becoming a better captain for my team and better play all around. In addition to this, she is a very hardworking woman and has had to deal with so much through her work as of recently and continues to lead in a devoted and confident manner. I aspire to be like her and try to show that confidence in whatever I do and whoever I am with.”
Throughout her journey of trying to choose which college would pave her future, she had to make some very hard decisions. “I made the choice to play at Bethel University because the moment I stepped on campus, I knew this was the perfect place for me to continue my volleyball career,” she said. “The athletic facilities and experiencing the coaching staff was very impressive. What led me to make my voice was the welcoming community and future teammates. I am excited for their positive programs and studying my major having the support for student-athletes. I am thrilled to join and experience Bethel University and be a part of something so special.”
