05/05/2006

Orban signs on with LSSU

Suttons Bay star has school mark in kills, blocks

by mark urban

murban@record-eagle.com

Orban

SUTTONS BAY — She had the measurable volleyball qualities.

Lake Superior State University coach Mark Engle was also interested in whether Suttons Bay senior Holly Orban had something a little harder to measure: leadership.

Orban signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Division II LSSU on Thursday. The signing came at the end of the late signing period for volleyball.

"(Engle) wanted to wait until my senior season was over," said Orban, the lone senior on Suttons Bay's squad that reached the Class C state semifinals. "He wanted to see how far I got and how far I progressed at the end of the year.

"He wanted to see how I played in big games. I think it's good that he waited."

"I talked to him at length at Charlevoix and he said he wanted her to lead her team to the Final Four, and she did," Suttons Bay coach Mike Kelly added. "She really excelled late in the season to take the team down to the Final Four. It was all on her shoulders."

A three-sport standout, Orban is the first Suttons Bay girl to sign a Division I or II scholarship since Traci Knudsen, a 1995 grad, went to Indiana University to run track and cross country.

"Each year she made great strides in whatever sport she was doing," Jim Orban said of his daughter, who won three letters in basketball and volleyball and is in her fourth season of varsity soccer.

But even before her final prep season has ended, Terri Orban said the partial scholarship her daughter received is a nice conclusion.

"It's very exciting," Terri Orban said. "We knew that she had a special talent in sports. To come to this signing was very awesome and epitomized her whole career."

Kelly said Lake Superior State, coming off a 9-22 record and a 6-12 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, got a "steal of a deal" in signing Orban.

"In talking to Mark, he sees the potential in Holly, especially when she focuses in on one sport instead of three," Kelly said.

Holly Orban said she received interest from some other GLIAC schools and some Division III programs. Grand Valley State University was interested in Orban playing soccer.

But in the end LSSU and volleyball won out for Orban, who has school records for kills in a career (1,208), kills in a season (621) and blocks in a career (309).

Lake Superior State opens its season Aug. 25-26 at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. The Lakers home opener is Sept. 7.