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Rio Mesa volleyball in Holloway's hands
Although Holloway's coaching resume is long, he has never coached girls' volleyball. Previously, he's served as an assistant for the boys' volleyball team at Ventura High and worked as a head coach for the Rancho Alamitos High girls' varsity basketball team. At Rancho Alamitos, Holloway also coached football. Last May, Holloway accepted a job to coach both the boys' and girls' volleyball teams at Rio Mesa. He replaced Carl Melhorn on the girls' side. "I was under a oneyear contract with Ventura, and it was going to end in June," Holloway said. "Nothing was set in stone for me returning, so in order to protect myself I started looking for other positions. "I saw a position open up here at Rio Mesa, and I then started to talk with the athletic director, Brian Fitzgerald. I seemed to have had a lot of people in my corner backing me up and telling him that I was the right person for the job because before you knew, the job was mine." Rio Mesa senior Tania Rapoza has played for four different coaches in her time at the school. Still, she likes her newest leader so far. "At first I wasn't so sure I wanted a new coach that had never coached girls' volleyball," Rapoza said. "But after a couple practices I really got to like him as a coach. He's not as firm and strict as other coaches might be. I think he's a little more lenient and focuses on the team having fun." Senior Brianna Martinez agreed. "Our coach last year was good, but Coach Holloway is just a little different," Martinez said. "I think he understands us a little better, and he seems like an overall good coach." Holloway said one of his main goals for the team is to make sure the players enjoy the game. "You only get four years to play volleyball in high school, and I don't want to be that one coach that makes these kids hate volleyball," Holloway said. "I've always thought, if you aren't having fun then why are you out here? Now, of course, by winning it's a little easier to have fun." Although it's early in the preseason for the Spartans, Holloway said he's liked what he has seen both on and off the court at Rio Mesa. "Our team is a lot deeper than I expected," Holloway said. "Out of our 12 players, 10 of them have been playing extremely well, and it's going to be hard to decide who plays and who sits. That has been a positive surprise." While Holloway said the play on the court has been solid, the former Buena High graduate has also warmed up to teachers and students off the court as well. "I went to Buena growing up, so I didn't know that much about Rio Mesa," Holloway said. "Everyone was telling me about the Spartan spirit, and so far I think it's great. "Everyone has been positive, and I love how spirited this school is. When I was in high school I was always that fan with face paint on while I cheered in the stands. So the attitude here relates to me." One of the people that has shown Holloway the ropes has been a former football teammate of his at Buena High- Spartan head football coach Bob Gregorchuk. "It was nice seeing Bob after all these years," Holloway said. "He's a really good guy. We started talking about some of the old days playing football. He was a lot better player than me back then. I wouldn't say that back then, but I can finally admit to that now." Now that Holloway is at Rio Mesa, he's hoping to become a permanent coaching fixture at the school, a la Gregorchuk. "This area is just a great place to work," Holloway said. "I have two little girls, and I want to raise them with my wife here. I'm one of those guys that really gets into his job, and I'm hoping to plant some roots and stay here for a long time." Rio Mesa begins its season on Sept. 25 against one of Holloway's former schools, Ventura. |
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