Monica Holmes was named an assistant volleyball coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ahead of the 2020 season, as announced by fifth-year head coach Tim Gaiser in July 2020.
"Monica has a solid knowledge of the game that has been sharpened by playing and coaching at the highest levels both collegiately and in the pro ranks," said Gaiser. "She is personable, communicates effectively and is thoroughly a professional. During every one of our conversations and chalk talks we are consistently on the same page, and I'm looking forward to having her here with us. I know she will be an outstanding teacher, mentor and coach for our players, and she’s a great fit for the Academy and the USMMA volleyball program."
Holmes joins the Mariners’ coaching staff after most recently serving as the head coach for five seasons at Columbia University. Charged with rebuilding the program in both numbers and success, Holmes laid a solid foundation in each of her seasons with the Lions, adding two Ivy League Tournament wins to compliment the first-ever Penn/Princeton sweep in 2005. It was only their second-ever victory over Princeton and their first-ever win over Penn. In 2004, Columbia earned its first Ivy League victory by defeating Dartmouth, 3-0, and had several players named to All-Tournament Teams earlier in the season.
Before arriving in New York and leading Columbia’s volleyball program, Holmes joined legendary volleyball head coach Don Hardin at the Big Ten Conference’s University of Illinois. During her two seasons with the Illini, the team was nationally-ranked both years and compiled a 34-24 record, including a 21-9 mark in 2001. That season, the team finished in the nation’s Top 20 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Before her stint at Illinois, Holmes spent three seasons as an assistant coach under Fran Kalafer at Hofstra, beginning in 1997. While she was there, Hofstra won two America East Conference titles and finished second once. She also helped lead Hofstra to two NCAA Tournament appearances, in 1997 and 1999.
Prior to her time at Hofstra, Holmes was an assistant coach at Santa Monica College for the 1993-94 and 1996-97 seasons. In the time period between those two years at Santa Monica, Holmes was a player/coach for the Koniz Volleyball Club in Bern, Switzerland, a nationally ranked Division B team. Also in 1994, she played professionally in the United States on the Las Vegas Vipers of the National Volleyball Association.
“I am extremely excited and humbled for the opportunity to be a part of USMMA Athletic family,” said Holmes. “I am looking forward to working with such a dedicated and talented group of student-athletes on and off the court. Thank you to Athletic Director Kristofer Schnatz, head coach Tim Gaiser and the entire Academy administration.”
A native of Altadena, Calif., Holmes attended and played for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she starred at middle blocker and was an All-Sun Belt Conference pick in 1990 and an All-Metro Conference selection in 1991 and 1992. As a senior, Holmes ranked second in the nation in NCAA Division I in attack percentage at .427. Overall in her career, she ranks first in school history with the highest hitting percentage at .355; second in solo blocks with 244, assisted blocks at 379 and total blocks with 623; fifth in sets played with 499; and sixth in both total kills with1,417 and points per set at 3.76.
Holmes graduated from UNC-Charlotte in 1992 with a degree in English Literature and she completed her Master’s degree in Physical Education while at Columbia University.
