Dax Holdren

Volleyball player

What is Dax Holdren known for?

Born on September 4, 1972, in Santa Barbara, California, Dax Holdren is a celebrated American former professional beach volleyball player, notable for his late start in the sport. Holdren didn't begin playing volleyball until his junior year at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara. He turned professional in 1997 when he joined the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) tour, earning the title of Rookie of the Year at the onset of his career.

His impactful career began alongside his high school teammate, Todd Rogers, with whom he claimed eight victories, including a World Tour triumph in 2000 achieved through qualification. Following his partnership with Rogers, Holdren teamed up with Eric Fonoimoana for two AVP seasons. During the 2002 season, Holdren and Fonoimoana were perceived as the dominant duo on the tour.

However, the highlight of his career certainly came in 2003 when Holdren bagged a silver medal at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, partnering with Stein Metzger. Despite their impressive win, the duo was not anticipated to secure medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics hosted in Athens, Greece, where they finished fifth. Afterwards, Holdren and Metzger, both of whom are considered smallish players for beach volleyball, decided not to continue their partnership, leading Holdren to pair up with Jeff Nygaard.

Holdren and Nygaard made a remarkable pairing in the 2005 AVP season, securing the second rank on the tour, with Holdren individually finishing second for digs with 909. However, their playtime was limited when Nygaard had to undergo cancer treatment in the 2007 season, leading Holdren to partner with Kevin Wong in several tournaments.

Over the course of his career, Holdren secured a total of 14 wins on the AVP tour, which includes eight wins with Rogers, five with Fonoimoana, and one with Nygaard. His most recent victory was in 2005. Holdren was notably sponsored by Nautica, along with Mike Lambert.

For further reference, you can check out Dax Holdren's career stats on the Beach Volleyball Database or his profile on the AVP.