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SPORTS INFORMATION—2008
hollinger makes herself at home in college ball...
CLEVELAND, OH (December 8, 2008) - Making the transition from high school to college level competition is usually a tough adjustment for most freshmen student-athletes. But after scoring 21 points in her first collegiate game, women’s basketball player Erin Hollinger (Chardon, OH) is the one leaving her opponents looking for answers.
Hollinger came to Case Western Reserve University as one of seven freshmen recruits, but managed to stand out and work herself into the Spartans’ (5-1) young starting rotation. Her 21 points in an opening night loss to Muskingum College shocked some people, including second-year head coach Jennifer Reimer.
“I think everyone was a bit surprised…including Erin,” Reimer said. “I looked at the stat sheet after the game, and I thought to myself, ‘wow, what a great college debut’.”
The very next night Hollinger would score another 21 points, leading her team to a win over Capital University, and proving her gaudy statistics were not a fluke.
“This is all new to me [college], so I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” said Hollinger. “I’m just going out on the court and playing the game, and trying to do what I do well.”
Hollinger was named University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week after her impressive start, but the six-foot forward has not stopped there. She has remained an integral part of the Spartans’ early season success, dropping 21 points for the third time this season over the weekend against Wooster College. The team has now won five games in a row (5-1), their longest winning streak since a seven game run during the 2003-04 season.
“We are playing well and it feels great,” Hollinger said. “Everyone on this team is really supportive of each other, we are all friends. I think that is a big reason why we are doing so well.”
But even with all the buzz around her play on the court, Hollinger has managed to keep a level head. For her, athletic success is not a new concept.
Hollinger lettered in basketball three years at Chardon High School, and scored 18.6 points-per-game her senior year, to go along with 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks-per-game. Not only was she named to her All-Conference and All-District teams, but she was also an All-State Honorable Mention.
And all this was happening while she was setting records in another sport.
As a four year letterman in track, Hollinger set school records in the high jump and pole vault, and she wants to continue her track career at Case Western Reserve in the spring.
“I’m planning on it,” Hollinger said. “It’s hard to say which sport I am better at. I think that track is something that I happen to be good at, and I’ll enjoy it when the time comes. But basketball is more of a year-long commitment. Right now I care more about basketball.”
It’s hard to argue with her. Hollinger is second on the team in scoring (14.8), third in rebounds (5.7), and first in blocked shots (4). And she’s doing it all while majoring in chemical engineering, one of the school’s toughest and most challenging academic programs.
“We knew she was something special, and once she got here she definitely confirmed that,” Reimer said. “I think her best is still to come, she just needs to make sure she doesn’t put too much pressure on herself.”
The Spartans are off until December 18 when they host Washington and Jefferson College at 6:00 p.m.
SPARTANS VS. RAIDERS THEN CAVS VS. BULLS … Case Western Reserve will take its home game on the road on January 2. The Spartans will play Mount Union College at Quicken Loans Arena, home of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers that day at 4:00 p.m. The Cavaliers will then face the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR: Info on Quicken Loans Arena -- To purchase a ticket
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