"When the injury happened, I just remember after being hit, just lying there and hoping that everything was OK," she said.
Everything wasn't OK.
The initial prognosis was that Holiday wouldn't be able to return to the court until April. She came back much earlier, but played at about 65 percent the rest of the season for the Cougars.
At that point, the chance of hooking on with a Division I school appeared slim, because all scholarships are usually settled by early April.
By mid-April, Holiday felt close to 100 percent. The next month, Holiday made a tape of herself working out along with some high school game footage and sent it to colleges.
Central Michigan coach Sue Guevara watched the tape and, in mid-June, invited Holiday to visit the campus. Holiday, with her parents, Rob and Yanell, immediately drove 12 hours to Central Michigan.
The visit went well, and Guevara liked what she saw on the tape, but she needed to see a little more before offering a scholarship. Guevara suggested that Holiday compete in Central Michigan's Elite Camp, in which she would perform against quality competition.
"What I saw on the tape intrigued me, I couldn't offer a scholarship based on a four-minute tape," Guevara said.
So Holiday returned the next week to participate in the camp.
"It was a lot of pressure, but I didn't worry," Holiday said. "It was the longest nine hours that I can remember."
Apparently, Holiday, a combination guard, made the right impression.
"I liked her athleticism and speed and thought that she could really fit well into the type of system we have," said Guevara, whose team was 12-18 overall and 8-8 in the Mid-American Conference last season. "Plus, what also helped is that she is a good student."
So Guevara, who actually had two scholarships available to offer, used one of them on Holiday, who quickly accepted.
"My family told me to have faith; nothing worth having is easy," Holiday said. "I was told I should not get caught up in my journey. I knew that I was going to play ball in college."
Now, Holiday is eager to report to her new team.
"The thing that I have been working for since I was in fourth grade finally came true," Holiday said.
As much as her play on the court, Holiday impressed her new coach with her attitude.
"Kyra's perseverance and her family's willingness to drive her out here twice says a lot about her and her family," Guevara said. "We're thrilled to have her in our program."
Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com.
