Alex Holston is having one of the most impressive starts to a career in Florida volleyball history.
But without help from a Southeastern Conference rival, the freshman would have likely never played the sport.
Growing up, Holston played numerous sports rather than focusing her attention solely on volleyball. The influence of her cousin, Darian Dozier, who now plays for South Carolina, changed everything.
“Everything that she went to do, I did,” Holston said.
That partnership, along with two of Holston’s older cousins, Jourdan Dozier and Kristen Dozier, who play for Ohio State and George Mason, respectively, helped steer her toward a promising volleyball career.
The Olney, Md., native did not begin playing volleyball until fifth grade, when she started going to clinics. She did not join a club team — critical in the recruiting process — until seventh grade.
It was not until middle school, when she failed to make the school’s basketball team, that she realized volleyball was the sport to concentrate on.
Going into 10th grade, Holston’s club volleyball coach, Joe Moyer, began working tirelessly to help her improve.
The accolades quickly poured in for Holston, who became a budding star.
She was a finalist for PrepVolleyball’s National Sophomore of the Year in 2010 and National Junior of the Year in 2011, the 2011 and 2012 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2011 Metro Player of the Year.
Moyer still believes that she is the best player he has ever seen.
“You could tell with Alex that she had a gift from the beginning,” Moyer said. “You could tell with that smooth, lefty arm swing that she was a natural.”
One memory of Holston that sticks out to him came during a state semifinal game her senior year, when she broke the Maryland single-match record with 42 kills in four sets.
“The setter in that match was my daughter,” Moyer said. “We had a talk before the match and I said, ‘For us to get through this match, you’re going to have to feed Alex — starting in the parking lot and finishing in the parking lot.”
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Holston was the highest-ranked Florida signee since Kelly Murphy in 2008. Under coach Mary Wise, Murphy helped lead the Gators to three NCAA Regional Semifinal appearances and one NCAA Regional Finals appearance. She now plays for the U.S. National Team.
The winning tradition in Gainesville is what helped convince Holston to sign. She said she knew she wanted to leave home and the cold to go to an SEC school. The decision ultimately came down to LSU, a school in an area where members of her family live, or Florida.
“My dad let me make the decision,” Holston said. “He didn’t want to make the decision for me. I guess just me talking about Florida all the time and how excited I was to be here made him OK with me going so far away.”
While the Gamecocks may have a starter for years to come in Dozier, the Gators found a potential superstar in Holston.
Despite being a true freshman, the right-side hitter currently ranks 30th in the nation in hitting percentage at .390. Holston and the Gators have both unexpectedly benefited from the graduation of former right-side hitter Tangerine Wiggs.
Freshmen rarely get playing time in Wise’s system — let alone the amount of playing time Holston has seen — but the offense needed someone to step up and replace the 245 kills Wiggs registered last season.
“We recruited her with the thought that we needed a right-side player because of the graduation (of Wiggs),” Wise said. “Chloe Mann did not start as a freshman. There are plenty of talented players who just had to wait their turn and then when the turn comes take full advantage of it.”
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Holston seized her early opportunity and never looked back.
Her breakout game came against Missouri on Oct. 20, when she led the team with 17 kills and hit .583.
As Florida (27-3) begins NCAA Tournament play against Jacksonville (30-3) on Thursday at 7 p.m., the Gators hope Holston can continue to be a key cog in their attack.
“She is a freak,” junior Taylor Unroe said. “She just does things that a lot of freshme n don’t do, and that’s good for us because I wouldn’t want to play against her. I play against her every day in practice, and she’s so hard to defend.
“We’re really lucky to have her, and she’s carried the load great this season. We just hope she keeps doing that.”
Follow RJ Schaffer on Twitter @rjschaffer.
Alex Holston celebrates with teammates during Florida’s three-set win against Tennessee on Oct. 27 in the O’Connell Center. The freshman is third on the Gators in kills per set.
