Southeastern volleyball in reload mode

Southeastern volleyball coach Katie Holder is replacing seven seniors who were the core of a team that won back-to-back Ohio Heritage Conference titles and made two straight jaunts to the Division IV district finals.

She’s going into the season with no seniors and just two juniors and pair of sophomores to go along with several freshmen, which means the Trojans probably can’t be expected to reach those heights again this year.

“You take a big hit when you graduate seven kids in a town like South Charleston,” she said. “We share athletes left and right (at the school).”

Not that Holder, who is in her third year, will lower her standards. One of the things she gleaned from her mentor, Graham coach Gaye Carafa, is that you don’t treat neophytes different than veterans.

“Gaye is a go-getter. You perform or you sit — that’s what I’ve learned from her the most,” Holder said. “Yeah, you do have to have some patience with the younger girls, but you can never have the expectation of, ‘There’s always next year.’ My expectation is, ‘OK, this is where I need you to be, and we’ve got to get there as soon as possible.’ ”

Holder can be demanding of her players because she’s just as tough on herself. She was married last July (her maiden name is Pollock), and she and husband Zach are expecting their first child Aug. 11 — about one week before the season opener.

But don’t look for her to take much maternity leave.

“I don’t expect to be out long — especially with the past two seasons being as great as they were,” she said of a run that includes consecutive 20-win seasons. “I’ve poured everything into the past two seasons. I don’t want to just walk away from that.”

Helping her with the transition to being a mother and coach will be full-time assistant Leah Cline. She replaces Holder’s sister, Jessica Waddle, who stepped down because she’s expecting her third child three weeks after Katie’s due date.

And while experienced players in are short supply, the Trojans do return junior Leslie Flores, the OHC South Division player of the year.

The only other Trojan to see significant action last year was Reed Pitstick, who filled in at times for injured seniors.

“Leslie has played all over for me. She’s really just a phenomenal volleyball player. We’re hoping to pull a team together around her,” Holder said.

“She just has an ability to see the court. She knows how everything operates, and she’s smart when it comes to fixing things that are going wrong. And she self-corrects. She can do something wrong and know exactly what she did and is already talking to herself on how to change it.”

Holder, who teaches special education in the Springfield school district, is the third coach at Southeastern since Kathy Mercer retired in 2013 after turning the Trojans into a powerhouse, winning nearly 500 games in 27 years and earning a spot in the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association hall of fame.

A former Northeastern player, Holder was coaching at Indian Valley Middle School and at the club level with the Champaign County Sharks when she was encouraged to pursue the job.

She’s glad she did.

“It’s been a learning experience for me. I think I’ve learned as much as the girls,” she said.

“But I love Southeastern. I didn’t expect to go out there. It’s not like I planned on it. But I love the small town feel with everyone involved in all the sports. That’s super nice.”

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