Albany volleyballer wins US scholarship

Virginia is a long shot from Albany, but the volleyball skills of one local teenager has given him a ticket there, after he accepted a college scholarship to play in the US State recently.

Connor Holland, 18, was offered a scholarship to play men's volleyball for Bluefield College.

The former Great Southern Grammar student is relatively new to the sport and has Nick Bew, his former school volleyball coach, to thank for recommending he take the sport seriously.

Bew pushed him to try out for the WA State under-19s team last year and he made the cut.

"Nick Bew spotted me playing casually with some friends, he approached me and he kind of forced me into it, and before I knew it I was loving it," Holland said.

"He set me up with a chance to try out for the State under-19s team and I went up there not expecting much, but all of a sudden they wanted me in.

"I had to make a split-second decision to move up to Perth and live with my brother and train."

Holland played with the team at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships in Canberra that year and won.

He will now make the bigger move to the US with a four-year scholarship to play for the Bluefield Rams.

The former Little Grove resident will study exercise science and sports management.

"(The college) is just starting out its new volleyball program; they've poured a lot of money into the program and shipped in a few international players, like myself," he said.

"It has been surreal, it still hasn't quite hit me. It's such an incredible opportunity I'm happy to take.

"I'd love to play professionally … the coach over there (James Butski) has strong connections in Puerto Rico and all across Europe."

Holland has begun packing his bags and is scheduled to leave late next week.