Harvey senior Jayla Holloway has earned the opportunity to continue her softball career at the collegiate level, announcing her commitment to play for Benedict College, an NCAA Division II program in South Carolina.
For Holloway, the commitment marks the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, while providing the opportunity to continue playing the game she loves at the collegiate level.
- More From OhioVarsity.com: Mentor’s Lyla Willis Collects Two More College Offers, Focused on Strong Senior Season
“It feels amazing,” Holloway said. “When I first heard back from their coach, it hit me that this is real. It was very exciting, and I’m glad that I’m able to be up there at the next level with all the other girls that I look up to. I’m just ready to play ball.”
Holloway helped lead Harvey through a period of steady progress on the softball diamond. During her junior and senior seasons, the Red Raiders won 13 games each year as the program continued moving in a positive direction.
She credits much of her development to a breakthrough sophomore campaign.
Help Ohio Varsity Tell More Stories
Ohio Varsity is independently owned and provides local coverage of high school athletes, teams and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
One-time and monthly donations available through PayPal.
“I feel like my sophomore season was the big turning point,” Holloway said. “I was really getting confident as a leadoff hitter, which comes with a lot of pressure. The biggest growth was my hitting. I wanted offense to be a big thing for us because you can’t win games without scoring runs, and I wanted to be a source of offense for my team.”
A four-sport athlete, Holloway’s versatility has been one of her greatest strengths. In addition to softball, she competed in basketball, track and field, and flag football throughout her high school career.
She believes each sport helped prepare her for the challenges of competing at the college level.
“All of those different sports present different physical demands,” Holloway said. “Basketball conditioning really helped me. In every sport, you need to be conditioned, so that was a major bonus. It was about staying fit, being versatile, and pushing my limits to see what I could accomplish.”
That versatility has also given Holloway confidence to embrace any role her future coaches may ask her to fill.
“Wherever my coach wants to put me, I want to have the confidence to go out there and do what I need to do,” she said. “Playing all those different sports gave me more confidence in myself. Wherever the coach needs me, I’m there.”
Holloway also credited Harvey softball coach Betsy Hada for helping elevate her game and giving her the confidence to pursue college softball.
“Coach Hada really had a major impact on my game during my sophomore season,” Holloway said. “It was something I couldn’t even imagine at the time. It gave me confidence throughout the rest of my career, and that was a big moment that helped get me to this point.”
As she prepares for the next chapter, Holloway hopes younger Red Raiders will learn from her experience and understand the commitment required to reach the collegiate level.
“My advice would definitely be to get in the gym,” Holloway said. “You’ve got to work every day. There are no days off if you’re trying to get to the next level. You have to push past your limits and focus on your goals instead of worrying about what other people say. Keep contacting college coaches, too. Eventually, they’ll notice, and you’ll get your opportunity.”
Now, Holloway will take the next step in her athletic journey, bringing the work ethic, versatility, and determination that defined her Harvey career to Benedict College.
