Seven years later, the NCAA records established by Jordan Holmes ’17 still stand, as does her belief that Denison set her up for success after she grabbed her last rebound and blocked her final shot.
Holmes is pursuing a doctorate degree in organizational psychology at Michigan State University and working remotely as a talent assessment strategist for Honeywell.
“Denison challenged me to be an autonomous thinker and discerning moral agent,” she said. “Playing basketball taught me the importance of leadership, teamwork, collaboration, resilience, and feedback. All these things are very applicable to the workplace and research I’m doing today.”
At Denison, Holmes became the first woman in Division III history to record more than 1,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 500 blocked shots.
Relying on her long arms and knack for timing leaps, Holmes set Division III records for career rebounds (1,711) and blocked shots (642) — feats made more remarkable by the fact she’s 6 feet tall, undersized for a center. She also helped the 2015-16 Big Red team qualify for the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid.
“Jordan was a valuable player for us,” said Denison deputy director of athletics Sara Lee, who coached Holmes. “We didn’t have to double team because we knew Jordan would protect the rim.”
Holmes’ achievements earned her special mention in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd” section in 2017 and, in that same year, she was featured on the cover of Denison Magazine. She remembers almost every moment of her photoshoot.
“There’s a backstory to that,” Holmes said, laughing. “I actually passed out during the middle of the Denison photoshoot. I don’t know if it was the lights flickering or what. If you look closely, I’m a little bug-eyed in the picture.”
Holmes, a Pittsburgh native, was recruited to play professionally in Europe but changed course following her father’s cancer diagnosis. She worked as a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and accelerated her plans to attend graduate school.
Lee connected her with former Denison basketball player Kinsey Bryant-Lees ’13, an assistant professor of industrial and organizational psychology at Northern Kentucky University, where Holmes earned a master’s degree.
A psychology major at Denison, Holmes is focused on applying psychology to the workplace to improve the well-being of individuals and organizations. Among her projects, she’s working with the Michigan state patrol on the recruitment and retention of minorities and women.
When her busy schedule allows, Holmes travels the Midwest visiting former Big Red teammates. She was recently honored by the North Coast Athletic Conference, which named her to its 40th anniversary women’s basketball all-decade team.
She marvels at the strides she made on and off the court in four years at Denison. Holmes arrived as a shy teenager, barely speaking to Lee during practices, and left the program a self-assured, two-time All-American.
“I don’t know if Coach Lee knew what kind of player she was getting, and I’m not sure I knew myself what impact I could have,” Holmes said. “She was invested in my development as a player and a person, and that allowed me to spread my wings.”