Men's volleyball player Declan Holder signs with Vanguard

Men's volleyball player Declan Holder signs with Vanguard

Holder signing photo gallery

Irvine Valley men's volleyball player Declan Holder has signed with Vanguard University.

The spring of 2020 will be the first season of the program at Vanguard.

The Lions will join the GSAC conference as the second NAIA school in Orange County with a program, and the fourth in California. 

Holder, a 6-4 outside hitter, was a freshman standout for the Lasers this past season and will join Vanguad in 2021.

He helped the squad finish second at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship. IVC was ranked No. 2 in the state in the final coaches poll of the year.

Holder played in 23 matches and averaged 1.86 kills, 0.88 digs and 0.39 blocks per set.

He hit .297 on the season.

Holder had 10 matches with at least seven kills and four with 10 kills or more, including a pair of big performances in the playoffs.

Holder recorded 10 kills and hit .300 in Irvine Valley's four-set win over Moorpark at home in the opening round of the postseason.

He then turned in his best match of the season, going for 11 kills with no errors on 15 attempts (.733 hitting average) with four digs as Irvine Valley upset top-ranked and undefeated Orange Coast in four sets in the semifinals of the CCCAA State Championship at Fullerton College.

Because of his outstanding play in the postseason, Holder was named to the All-State Tournament team.