The star libero scans the court, anticipating her opponents with ease. Senior Caroline “CJ” Holdsworth utilizes her experience and leadership to command the defense. As a captain of the Varsity girls volleyball team, Holdsworth fulfills many responsibilities on and off the court. Whether she is covering her hitters, dominating in serve receive, putting touches on the opponent’s attacks or motivating her teammates, her years of experience shine through her stellar performance.
“CJ is one of the captains this year, and she leads through her work ethic. She shows up ready to work everyday. She’s our most consistent and most reliable defender. Even though she’s an excellent libero, she is still constantly working to improve her game,” said Head Coach Katrina Damasco.
Holdsworth is expected to pick up most attacks made by the opposing teams. The defining factor that allows the Panthers’ offense to tally up points is Holdsworth’s consistency when covering the hitters. The hitters attack with much more confidence knowing Holdsworth is always backing them. Her skills and example-setting work ethic shows in the team’s record: the girls varsity team is currently undefeated in league play after their recent wins against EF Academy and Flintridge Prep, starting the beginning of the season with incredible success under Holdsworth’s leadership.
Off the court, Holdsworth exemplifies a bright personality and unwavering determination. Freshman Oona Doner mentioned Holdsworth’s positive energy and influential hard work.
“She is a fearless team captain who not only puts her all into every practice, but she makes everyone feel included both on and off the court,” Doner remarked.
Junior Ellie Chu pointed out Holdsworth’s dedication to helping out others on the team. “CJ’s success comes from her dedication and love for the game,” Chu said. “As someone we can all rely on, she brings a lot of support and energy. During the Flintridge Prep game, CJ passed so many incredible dimes during the game, helping us make plays.”
When asked about Holdsworth’s mental game, senior teammate Olivia Ip, who also plays on the same club volleyball team as Holdsworth, described, “She has a competitive game-like mentality, but she doesn’t let the aggressiveness she needs in a game conflict with her support of her teammates. Having Caroline being the beacon of energy really helps us in tougher games against stronger hitters. She is a great captain and an influential leader while also getting a lot of digs up and perfect passes for us.”
After years of hard work on both school and club teams, Holdsworth recently committed to Cornell University to play Division I volleyball. After graduating in 2025, we will be watching Holdsworth continue to shine in even higher-level games. We wish her and the girls volleyball team luck for the rest of their season.
