GETTING ORIENTED: VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ERIN HOLT FIGHTS OFF NERVES

Erin Holt was a trifle nervous when she arrived on campus two weeks ago to begin two-a-day practices as a freshman volleyball player for Southeast Missouri State University. She was so nervous she became dehydrated over the first few days of drills. She had trouble breathing.

"I was so weak in practice I would just fall over," she said.

Her next stop was the hospital, where she was given two liters of fluids. Now she's required to down an entire bottle of water during each practice and to drink amounts of fluids specified by the trainer each day.

"I have so much to drink," says Holt, who is 5-10 and weighs 130 pounds.

Because practice began before school did, she and her roommate, Kandie Candelarie, had the fifth floor at Myers Hall all to themselves until the other freshmen began arriving Thursday.

Athletes have an advantage over other freshmen trying to acclimate to college life, Holt says. "Coming into a team sport you have a whole net(work) right there," she said. "Someone else maybe has only one other person from their school. I would be really nervous."

Holt was a two-time all-state volleyball player at Bernie High School, where her team won state championships her last three years in school. Other members of that team are going to school at Arkansas State, Three Rivers Community College and William Jewell.

Bernie is home, but Holt has Cape Girardeau ties. Both of her parents, Charles and Sally Holt, graduated from Central High School and Southeast. All of them are members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, and both of Holt's grandmothers live here. Her older sister, Bethany, is a junior at Southeast.

So though she was recruited by Arkansas State, Dayton, George Washington University and other big schools, Holt chose Southeast.

"On my recruiting trip I just felt right at home," said Holt, who has been attending volleyball camps at Southeast since the seventh grade.

"Coach (Cindy) Gannon is a big influence in my life as far as volleyball," Holt says.

The fact that her parents will get to see her play here was another factor that brought Holt to Southeast. "I'm real close to my family," she said.

Her major is pre-med, and she says academics are her priority. "Getting an education and a medical degree, that's what I'm going for," she said.

She already has six hours of college credit before walking into her first class at Southeast.

With the double practices, Holt hasn't had much free time up to now. "We've been to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club," she said. "You're so tired from practices you just want to lie down."

Holt has discovered just how well-conditioned college athletes are expected to be. "I thought I was (in condition)," she said. "That's one thing returning players have on freshmen."

As one of four freshmen on the 12-member Southeast volleyball team, Holt doesn't expect to get a lot of playing time right now. "We have an overabundance of talent," she says.

Last year's team finished first in the Ohio Valley Conference and went to compete in the school's first NCAA volleyball tournament.

The team's first game is Friday, when they will compete in a tournament in Springfield, Mo.

As classes begin today and the games Friday, much of her anxiety has begun to dissipate. "I'm a little nervous but I have a real good work ethic," she said.