Emily Holland
Position - Middle blocker
Height - 6-foot-3
Year - Freshman
Hometown - Madison, Ind.
"When I saw her playing for [Kentucky-Indiana Volleyball Academy] these last couple years, I knew she could make an impact," Shondell said. "She faced such high competition that she had an edge to come right in here and compete."
While apart of KIVA's organization, Holland helped her team finish third in the Junior Volleyball Association World Challenge and win the 2014 Mideast Power League. By the end of her four-year career, she led her class to the greatest winning percentage in program history.
Even with great success, she found her time in club volleyball as a great learning experience to aid her jump to college.
"When I got into the club going from college, it took me a while to get going because I wasn't used to the speed they were going," Holland said. "Once I came here, I realized that I had just about the right speed, and I acclimated to the environment pretty easily thanks to KIVA."
While her skills were at the collegiate level, she was nervous to get started. In her first collegiate match against Albany, she relied on her teammates to keep her nerves in check.
"I had to have everyone kind of pick me up in my first game," Holland said. "Now, I don't feel the nerves get to me quite as much, and I'm more confident on the court."
Holland finished with eight kills and four digs in the season opener. Since then, she has become a leader for the Cardinals' attack.
As one of four middle blockers on the team, Holland has racked up 68 kills while averaging 1.79 per set. She has also played a role on defense with 27 total blocks on the season.
Holland is a student of the game, always asking questions to coaches and teammates. Although she's still learning, Shondell called the 6-foot-3 freshman "a very intimidating presence."
"She always wants to become even better and she asks me many questions," senior Kelly Hopkins said. "I try to help her with all of them, and she always takes it and absorbs it."
The help from her teammates extends beyond practice and helps Holland stay focused during matches.
"[Hopkins] is always telling me things during matches, but she never screams it," Holland said. "[It] never feels like she is pointing out my mistakes from the past point, but rather telling me how to improve for the next one, and it really has been helpful to me."
Holland's growth has come at an opportune time for the Cardinals, who have been dealing with injuries this season. The absence of Alex Fuelling, Mackenzie Kitchel and Sabrina Mangapora have hurt the team's depth at times.
But with Fuelling and Kitchel returning, Holland's newfound experience can help the Cardinals as they get into the meat of their Mid-American Conference schedule. Shondell called his roster "a perfect mix right now of youth and veterans."
Both Shondell and Holland are confident in the team, and the excitement is building for a run to the postseason MAC Tournament.
"I think that we really can beat every opponent we face coming up," Holland said. "Our team is strong, and we believe in ourselves and think we can reach our goal for the season, and that's the MAC championship."
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