Less than a year later, though, coach Dave Rubio was contacting her. After a knee injury struck utility player Elise Hendrickson, Rubio needed Holloway.

"It was kinda perfect how it worked out," Holloway said. "He asked me if I would still be interested in playing and to think about it and talk about it with my parents. It took not much thinking about to say yes. I couldn't believe that opportunity came to me like that."

Holloway, a junior walk-on, comes off the bench to supply the No. 18 Wildcats (16-6, 5-6 Pac-10) with her serving and defensive skills. She hits a "bomb serve" that floats high and travels far to keep opponents off balance. Arizona plays today at No. 14 Oregon.

Rubio said Holloway has improved rapidly in her time with the team.

"She has some fine athletic qualities," Rubio said. "Now it's about developing the skill set. Passing is such a critical element of the game."

Holloway said she went through a number of phases to reach this point of contributing to the Cats:

Stage 1: Walk-on fill-in

Holloway played for the Laguna Beach Club Team, but Arizona had enough liberos when she contacted Rubio during her senior year. She opted to attend the UA anyway. When Hendrickson tore her ACL a year and a half ago, Holloway was needed. During her first season with the team last year, she played in just nine sets. This season, she has played in 15 matches.

"She's got a lot of the elements that you need to be a good back- row player," Rubio said.

Stage 2: Server extraordinaire

Rubio suggested Holloway stand far behind the end line when she served, and she began working on a "bomb serve." She stands about 20 feet behind the end line, tosses the ball above her head and hits the ball upward to make it float and travel far.

"Those are the toughest balls to pass," Rubio said. "The ball is in the air for a long time, has a lot of action on it. She serves it with some good pace."

Rubio brings in Holloway to serve, often for middle blocker Jacy Norton, or for her defense, so Holloway said she must prepare like a starter and be ready.

"I get pretty nervous, a little bit," she said. "It's also really exciting. I just have to stay warm and always be attentive."

Stage 3: The future - better all-around skills

Currently, Holloway is third on the depth chart in terms of serve- receive - she is behind senior libero Alanna Resch and Hendrickson. While Holloway's serving and setting are strong, she said she must improve her serve-receive skills.

"I'm a really competitive person, so it's hard to sit on the sidelines and not play as much as I'd like to, but I'm glad to have a role on the team," she said.

TODAY

* What: Arizona at Oregon

* When: 8 p.m.

Originally published by SARAH TROTTO, ARIZONA DAILY STAR.

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