Landry Long | The Echo
Taylor's head volleyball coach, Holly Motheral, announced her resignation last Friday in order to accept the head volleyball coach position at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
With a 60-40 overall record over a three year-span, Motheral reflects on her time at Taylor with nothing but gratitude, while realizing her next move is a necessary one.
"I loved my experience at Taylor, but really was looking for an area where I can fit in more as a person," Motheral said. "Just being young and single, it's been a little challenging here in Upland. So I have a lot of friends that live in that area, so I had always told myself that if a job opened up that seemed like the right fit for me professionally, I would apply and look into it."
Motheral's volleyball journey includes four years of playing at Houghton College in New York, a graduate assistant job while earning a master's degree at the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, one year at Montreat College in North Carolina, a three-year tenure as head coach of the Trojans and now a new journey at Messiah College.
With Motheral's time at Taylor being her first experience in a head position, she explains what she plans to carry over into the next program.
"I guess I've learned that coaching is more mental than volleyball knowledge," Motheral said. "It's more of discipling and almost being a person to guide people, and not just necessarily telling them how to play volleyball. I've learned more of the mental side of coaching."
Through many experiences on the hardwood, and many more to come, Motheral will always remember the time she spent as a Trojan.
"The group of ladies that I've coached the past three years-they're a really special group," said Motheral. "Taylor volleyball is very unique; it has a lot of traditions and a rich history. So I'm definitely going to miss just investing in those girls. Obviously on the court but mostly off. I've been able to develop some really solid mentorship relationships and just been really close with them. So that's probably the thing I'm going to miss the most. I'm just really thankful for the opportunity I've had to work at Taylor and just appreciate the community here. I'm really excited for my next journey."
"photograph by Fayth Glock"
