Marist’s Ashley Holder, SouthtownStar Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

Updated: May 9, 2012 10:00AM

During her three seasons as a varsity setter at Marist, Ashley Holder didn’t see herself as much as a leader as she did a connector.

“Look at our defense,” the SouthtownStar/Jenny’s Steakhouse 2011 Girls Volleyball Player of the Year said. “We have an awesome defense. I can’t do my job without them doing it well. And then you look at all of the hitters I’ve had. This year we had such great hitters all across the board.

“It’s just a great feeling all-around to be the middle piece that connects it and puts it all together.”

Along the way, Holder put together a resume that should assure her a Division I scholarship.

She’s a career record-holder at Marist in assists (2,871), service points (625), good serves (1,167), serve attempts (1,179), good sets (7,082) and set attempts (7,117).

In 2011, Holder led the area in assists with 1,121. She also compiled 454 digs, 220 service points, 33 aces and 28 blocks.

She was the centerpiece on a Marist team that made program history by being the first to compete on state finals weekend. The RedHawks finished fourth in Class 4A with a 30-7 record.

“It was pretty important, not for all of us who played this season, but for those who played in the seasons before us,” Holder said. “The past couple of years we kept getting closer and closer and closer. This year was really the year that we set the tone and pushed past that barrier.”

Cool, calm and collected every step of the way was Holder.

Savvy at reading the opposing teams’ blockers, Holder often was on the distributing end on plays that resulted in Marist hitters putting down kills to wide-open spots on the floor.

“What I’m most proud of is when I can give my hitters a nice big hole in the block,” Holder said. “When you can fake out that block on the other side and give your hitter a one-on-one situation or a huge hole and no block at all, that’s the best feeling in the world. I feel that this season I’ve done it better than any season before.”

Making it especially effective was her knack for backsetting.

“I’ve been working on that since my freshman year (as a member of the sophomore team),” Holder said. “I had coach Sarah Niedospial and coach Molly Hollock, and we spent the majority of my time working on backsetting. And my sophomore year coach Alison Myers helped me every day getting that backset down.

“Junior and senior year it wasn’t a real big deal to me because I had done so many reps freshman and sophomore year, it just seemed natural to go back as easy as it was to go outside.”

Holder, who listed Western Illinois and Akron as college possibilities, is ending a phase of her career in which she also calls her coach (Natalie Holder), “Mom.”

“I get that question lot, ‘What’s it like to play for your mom? It must be weird,’ ” Holder said. “But I’ve had her as a coach in grammar school and in a couple of club seasons, so it really wasn’t. It’s just a thing that when we’re at practice and games, it’s coach and player. We don’t really take it outside the court.

“It’s been a great experience. It’s not something that a lot of people get to do, especially this year going downstate with my sister (Taylor) on the team, too. It was just a great feeling for the whole family.”

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