Holly Motheral was named the new head coach for women's volleyball in the spring of 2016 and just finished up her first season coaching the Falcons this past fall. Continuing the tradition of success she led the team to an overall record of 26-8 and Messiah played in the MAC Commonwealth Championship game for the sixth-straight year.
We decided to catch up with coach Motheral to learn more about her #WhyMessiah experience thus far!
What is your full name?
Holly Motheral
College alma mater?
Houghton College '10
How many years have you been coaching at Messiah?
I completed my first season this past fall.
Why do you love coaching at Messiah?
I love coaching at Messiah because of the Christ-Centered and competitive environment that has been established here. I am surrounded by excellent coaches who want to see each other succeed and are willing to help each other do so.
What is your favorite part about coaching?
My favorite part of coaching is seeing my student athletes develop in all aspects of life; athletically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. I also value the mentoring opportunities I have with this awesome group of young women.
What is the most unique aspect about your program?
One unique thing that our ladies did this year was write letters of encouragement to our opponents before every match. I thought this was very special and a amazing way to share Christ's love to those we interacted with.
Are you superstitious or do you have any pre-game coaching rituals, habits?
No I am not superstitious, but have some rituals/routines. I love listening to dance music on bus rides, specifically 3lau, and I always chew gum while I am coaching!
What is the best thing about your coaching staff?
I have Messiah Volleyball's first ever All-American as my assistant. That is pretty cool, Lauren pushes our players to be better and cares deeply about this program.
Favorite Messiah memory?
Beating Christopher Newport University in 5 sets. This was by far our best match of the season.
What is the best advice you received from another coach or colleague?
Don't let wins or losses define you as a coach, focus on being consistent and giving your players opportunities to learn and grow. This was from one of my mentors Kelly Packard.
If you had to choose another job besides coaching, what would you do?
I would probably want to be a Nurse. My mom is a nurse and I look up to her a lot for that. On the side, I would want to be on the LPGA tour, I am a big fan of golf.
What advice would you give to younger athletes who aspire to play a sport in college?
Have a growth mindset, use failure and mistakes as learning opportunities.
If you could coach any other team in the Messiah College Athletic Department, which team would you choose? Why?
I would choose women's Basketball because I played a year in college so I am fairly familiar with the game. Also,
Mike Miller has a talented and hard-working squad, so they would be fun to coach.
If you could have dinner with any coach past or present, who would it be and why?
This was a tough one, there are a lot of amazing coaches, but I would have to say Karch Kiraly. He is currently the US Women's National Coach. I've been to a handful of his clinics and he is full of knowledge and really knows how to teach the game.
