EDWARDSVILLE – For Frankie Holloway, the only senior on the Edwardsville boys volleyball team, it was a tremendous way to close out his home career.
The Tigers rallied from a game down and trailing in the second game to defeat a very good St. John Vianney Catholic team 20-25. 25-23, 25-18 Monday evening at Lucco-Jackson Gym. Holloway and his family were honored in a pre-match ceremony, and the played a big role in helping to stage Edwardsville’s comeback.
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“I really owe it to my team, they really helped me with it,” Holloway said in a post-match interview. “Max (Sellers) was getting all the reps he could, Henry (Hupp) was really playing out of his mind, Josh (Whittenburg) had a really good service run. I mean, I owe it all to them.”
Holloway was very confident in the way the Tigers were playing, and it helped key the comeback against the Golden Griffins.
“I was really confident in the way we played,” Holloway said. “We just needed a break and to get on a little run, and once we did that, we built up momentum, and we just took it from there, and ran with it.”
To go out with a victory in Edwardsville’s home finale, which also clinched an undefeated home season, meant very much to Holloway.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not going to lie, I felt really good,” Holloway said, “but, I mean, it is a little sad, but I know I can leave the team in good hands, so the juniors that are playing this next year.”
Holloway was introduced to volleyball by Joanna Cook, his freshman Spanish teacher who encouraged him to try out for the team, and Holloway credits her immensely with the success in the game that’s followed him since.
“Mrs. Cook was actually my freshman Spanish teacher,” Holloway said, “and I was just sitting around in class one day after basketball season ended, and she said ‘Hey, you should play volleyball.’ And I asked her when the tryouts were, and she told me. She really just introduced me to the game; I don’t know if she meant to, but it definitely had a lasting impact on, probably, my life.”
Ever since that day, Holloway has credited Cook with all the success he’s enjoyed on the volleyball court and the game’s impact on his life.
“Oh, yeah, I do,” Holloway said. “I mean, I’m so grateful for the opportunity that she gave me, whether she meant to or not.”
And in looking back on his four years in the Tigers’ program, Holloway has some favorite memories of the team and his experiences.
“Oh, man,” Holloway said with a smile before answering. “Some of my favorite memories have been the Joliet tournament. That’s always been fun, just being able to stay overnight with the boys. Another good one is the JV team actually, my freshman year JV team. There are a lot of friends I had on there that helped me really cement me in volleyball. They’re the ones that kept me wanting to play more.”
After graduation, Holloway will go to Arizona State in Tempe to study business administration, and is eager to keep playing the game, hoping to walk on with the Sun Devils, but also is keeping is options open.
“I don’t know how I’m going to do out there, but I definitely would love to play some form of volleyball out there,” Holloway said, “whether it’s intramural, whether I get onto their club team, it just depends.”
And playing at ASU, one of the best athletic schools in the country, is something that Holloway is looking forward to.
“Yes, sir, it’s going to be real fun out there,” Holloway said. “It’s beautiful, I love it, it’s really my dream school. And them having a great volleyball program, that’s just icing on the cake.”
