JEFF FIELDER Editor
SIDNEY – Logan Holly, who will be a junior at Sidney High School this upcoming school year, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Holly is involved in volleyball and track and field. She helped the Red Raiders volleyball team enjoy lots of success this summer, including placing fourth in the 10-team gold division of the Top 10 Tournament in Kearney in July. The 5-foot-9 Holly was a full-time starter in the middle on last year’s Sidney varsity volleyball team, which posted a 26-9 record and qualified for the sub-state round. Her parents are Heath and Jenna Holly.
Q: How long have you been playing volleyball?
HOLLY: “Since third grade.”
Q: Talk about how this summer has been going for Sidney’s volleyball team?
HOLLY: “We went to the NJC league summer camp. There were games there every Wednesday in June. We would go down and play two games. We also went to the Ogallala team camp, and we went to the Top 10 team camp at UNK. Overall, I think we’ve been doing really well. We’ve been playing really well as a team.”
Q: How many starters are back this season for Sidney?
HOLLY: “We have four starters back, but we have six people who are returning after playing on varsity last year.”
Q: How many seniors did Sidney graduate from last year’s volleyball team?
HOLLY: “We lost four seniors.”
Q: What’s been the biggest focus for Sidney’s team this summer?
HOLLY: “We’ve been focusing a lot on our defense and covering, like for tips and blocking. We’ve also been really focusing on our serves.”
Q: Sidney is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Top 10 tournament at Kearney. How excited was the team about its performance in Kearney?
HOLLY: “We played well, especially considering we played some Class A teams. We were the only team to beat Millard South one set.”
Q: How will Sidney’s success this summer help the Red Raiders during the fall season?
HOLLY: “I believe that this summer has definitely helped our team because we’ve been getting to know each other a lot more. We’ve already been bonding as a team, and I feel like we’re clicking a lot better right now. I feel like we’ve improved a lot, so that will definitely help us going into the season.”
Q: What’s up next for the Sidney volleyball team?
HOLLY: “After the Top 10 in Kearney, we continued lifting weights and doing open gym, and this week is our week of conditioning. Our first day of practice [for the high school season] is Monday. We’ll start with two-a-day practices, so we’ll have practice at 7 in the morning until about 8:30 on Monday and then from 4 in the afternoon until about 5:30.” Editor’s note: Sidney’s first match is Sept. 3 at home against Kimball.
Q: How strong can this year’s team be?
HOLLY: “We did lose one of our big outside hitters and a really good setter. But we have a setter coming up who can definitely fill the shoes, and we have a few sophomores and freshmen coming up who have a lot of talent and will help fill the talent that we lost from last year. I’m excited about the season. I believe we could do great things if we keep working hard as a team.”
Q: What do you think Sidney is capable of achieving this season?
HOLLY: “I definitely believe that we can make it to state if we push ourselves hard. Our goal is definitely to get to state.”
Q: What is the strength of this year’s team?
HOLLY: “Definitely offense. We click together really well.”
Q: Individually, how do you feel going into this volleyball season compared to your first two years of high school?
HOLLY: “My first two years of volleyball I played middle for the high school. I switched to outside this year because that’s where I’m more comfortable. They used me in the middle last year because I’m good at defense, but I think I’m more of an asset when I play outside. So, I got switched to outside this year. I’m excited about it.”
Q: How passionate are you about volleyball?
HOLLY: “I’m very passionate about volleyball. I want to play volleyball in college.”
Q: You also compete in track and field. What events do you compete in?
HOLLY: “I’m a pole vaulter, and I also do sprints.”
Q: Have you lived in Sidney your whole life?
HOLLY: “I moved to Sidney when I was 1.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed growing up in Sidney?
HOLLY: “I’ve enjoyed it a lot. The people here are great.“
Q: What do you enjoy doing for fun outside of sports?
HOLLY: “I like to play catch with the football with my brothers. Also, my family camps a lot, and we like to travel.”
Q: Where does your family like to go camping?
HOLLY: “We typically go to Lake McConaughy.”
Q: Which teacher has made the biggest influence on you?
HOLLY: “I would say Mrs. [Tess] Plummer.”
Q: In your opinion, who is the kindest student at Sidney High School?
HOLLY: “Sarah Wamsley. She’s going to be a senior, and she’s on the volleyball team as well. I just feel like no matter who the person is, she always waves at them and tells them ‘Good morning’ or ‘Hello.’ She always gives hugs, and she’s always upbeat. She keeps everybody happy.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Sidney?
HOLLY: “I would definitely say the Silver Dollar.”
Q: What do you like to order there?
HOLLY: “I like to get either the spicy chicken strips meal or the spicy chicken sandwich meal.”
Q: If you were talking to someone who had never been to Sidney before, what’s one place that you would recommend he or she visit?
HOLLY: “For views, I would say Memorial Gardens. It’s a very pretty floral garden area where you can just relax with nature. It’s by Legion Park.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
HOLLY: “I have two brothers [Luke, 14; and Lance, 12], and one sister [Carson, 24].”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in August to the local DOVES organization.
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