DATE: Wednesday, October 1, 1997            TAG: 9710010646

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   47 lines

F. COLONIAL'S KOLLAR A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS OUTDOOR TRACK DISCUS STATE CHAMPION IS A DRIVING FORCE ON THE PATRIOTS' BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM.

Different seasons call for different attitudes.

In the spring, First Colonial's Brian Kollar has no one to blame or criticize but himself following a bad shot put or discus throw. And he likes it that way.

``In team sports, the whole team has to play well to win,'' said the 1997 state outdoor champion in the discus. ``An individual can have a great game but the team can lose.''

But that doesn't mean Kollar strays from team sports.

The First Colonial senior is the captain and driving force of the top-ranked Patriots' volleyball team. And he's the main reason First Colonial came back from an 11-5 deficit in the second set to beat No. 2 Cox 6-15, 16-14, 15-12 Tuesday.

``He likes to get excited,'' said teammate David Hills. ``He plays better when he's mad.''

Kollar takes his intensity with him regardless of the season. Yet, he can only yell ``get pumped up'' so many times to best friend Eric Miller during a track and field meet. Therefore, he lets it all out on the volleyball court: diving and leaping; clapping and pumping his fist; and screaming and whispering during every point of a match. Especially the screaming part.

``He gets more excited than most volleyball players,'' Patriots coach Mark Lottinville said.

Kollar figures the ranting and raving will start a chain reaction.

``I try to get pumped up so I can hit the ball harder,'' Kollar said. ``When somebody gets pumped up, it seems like the whole team gets pumped up.''

At times, Kollar's antics may have offended some teammates. No one ever confronted him face-to-face, but it was later suggested that former Patriots took his enthusiasm the wrong way last season.

However, his intensity has not been an issue for his current teammates and certainly not the coach.

``He doesn't like to lose,'' Lottinville said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

First Colonial's Brian Kollar hustles after the ball in a volleyball

match against Cox Tuesday. Kollar is the emotional sparkplug for the

Patriots.

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