By: by KSU Sports Information
KENNESAW, Ga. - Sibling rivalries can evolve in different ways. The playful games in the backyard can eventually turn into true athletic competitions. For Kennesaw State volleyball's Holly Knight, her rivalry with her older brother helped her land a Division I scholarship.
Holly has two older siblings, Tara and Kenan. Her family always encouraged her to be active. "My family is very competitive," she said. "Really no matter what it is, we're a competitive family. We’ve always been a sports family. We’ve always been active; even if it’s not a specific sport I was always outside playing games."
A lot of Holly's activities were done with her older brother in mind. "He’s always been successful through his sports in high school and getting a scholarship to college. Seeing him succeed motivated me to succeed. I always wanted to be in basketball just like him, but still having standards of getting a scholarship and working hard."
While Kenan's path guided him towards basketball, Holly's path would push her towards the volleyball court. "I always played basketball in middle school the coaches just asked if I would come out and try volleyball. So I decided to go out and play," she said.
Holly would keep playing through middle school, and then she transitioned to playing in high school. "I was only playing in high school, and I really didn't play any club volleyball until later," Holly said. "I enjoyed volleyball more and more throughout high school, and then I decided to try out for a club team. A friend got me a tryout, and I didn't think I would play any, but I thought I would at least improve just by being on the team and practicing."
Instead of just practicing though, Holly soon found herself on the court in matches. "I ended up playing the whole season, and that's when I really started to love it," she said. "I knew I wanted to play it in college."
While Holly was a sophomore in high school, her brother Kenan was busy winning a Division II Men's Basketball National Championship at Kennesaw State. Soon, Holly would end up with something that Kenan didn't have - a Division I scholarship. Also, Holly could add a volleyall state championship to the family mantle after winning with Harrison High School her senior year.
"I guess it’s kind of a continued point of pride pride as far as being successful in sports and getting scholarship," Holly said. "I won a high state championship and he won a national championship. Winning the national championship probably trumps everything though, no matter what level it's at."
Holly would not immediately follow in her brother's footsteps. Instead, she spent a season at Butler University in Indianapolis. While there, she would be coached by an assistant who would later become her head coach at Kennesaw State - Karen Weatherington.
"Holly's time at Butler seems fleeting just because it was so long ago," said Coach Weatherington. "Holy was able to come in early and start in January, so I got a lot of time to know her away from the hustle and bustle of preseason practice. She wasn't the vocal leader that she became at Kennesaw State. She didn't have that same presence she has now. But she's always had a passion for winning and didn't care where she went in order to fulfill that passion."
"Butler was a really good experience," Holly said. "It was a school with a lot of tradition and that tradition was something I liked about it. I just ended up not being happy as far as how things were going for me. Being so far from my family and missing out on that family bond, I just ended up coming home.
"At first I felt like I had disappointed people," Holly continued, "but then when I started playing at KSU and Coach Weatherington ended up coming here and coaching me, I realized that was the plan and I have been happier here than I would have been anywhere else."
Holly graduated from Kennesaw State last year and had the opportunity to depart after three years on the volleyball court. Still, she was drawn to return for one more season. "I had another year of eligibility because I sat out when I transferred," Holly said. " I just didn’t feel like I was finished. I didn’t get everything out of my college career that I wanted to get. Coach wanted me to come back instead of graduating and moving on. It was only going to do good and no bad so might as well."
Holly is now working on a second undergraduate degree, this one in Marketing. She is also working on closing out her career in style. "I definitely want a conference championship and I think that’s looking really good for us right now. We definitely can win that," Holly said. "I love this team. There’s no negative feeling like there would have been if I had left last year; there were only positive things to come back to this year."
And as far as the sibling rivalry goes? "I always joke with Kenan because I was always 'Kenan’s little sister.' I joke around because now everyone knows 'You're Holly’s brother.'"
