Wagner sticking with what works, adds Molloy
2/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Feb. 10, 2011
University of Montana volleyball coach Jerry Wagner announced this week that Kaitlyn Molloy of Spanaway, Wash., has been accepted to the University and will join the Grizzly volleyball program in the fall.
Molloy joins Kelsey Schile in Wagner's (so far) two-player freshman class. Schile signed a National Letter of Intent in November.
Molloy will be a 2011 graduate of Graham-Kapowsin High, the same school that produced current Griz outside hitter Kayla Reno, who joined the program last fall and developed into the Big Sky Conference's top offensive freshman, averaging 2.54 kills per set.
Molloy was named the South Puget Sound League South co-MVP as a senior and led the Eagles to the Washington Class 4A state tournament for the second straight year and a 29-5 record. The Eagles finished seventh at the tournament, and Molloy was named to the all-tournament team.
She and Reno were teammates on Graham-Kapowsin's sixth-place team in 2009.
Molloy was first-team All-SPSL South as a junior and a second-team selection as a sophomore.
Molloy is currently playing for the Lake Tapps Volleyball Club.
Lake Tapps finished 23rd in the 17 National division at the 2010 USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Championships last summer in Reno, Nev.
The team most recently finished third in January at the high-level Oregon MLK Team Classic in Eugene, Ore., after knocking off the tournament's top seed, Oregon Northwest 18 Air Elite, in the quarterfinals.
Lake Tapps is the hometown of Brooke Bray, who, like Reno, joined the program last fall and made an immediate impact. Bray played all 106 sets and finished third on the team in blocks (0.72/s) and fourth in kills with 163 (1.54/s).
"The state of Washington and especially the Seattle area is becoming a real volleyball hotbed with the caliber of coaches and athletes that are spending a lot of time training and competing," Wagner said. "These kids are spending a lot of time with a lot of good coaches in their upbringing.
"After they're done competing with and against each other at a high level in high school, the club system has grown to where there is more high-quality instruction and some very competitive and nationally-ranked club teams. Then they go at it again."
Molloy played middle blocker for Graham-Kapowsin, and she is also plays middle for Lake Tapps despite her 5-8 size.
But her dynamic athleticism allows her to pull it off. She has an approach vertical jump of 32 inches, which is six inches higher than any of her future Griz teammates registered during testing last fall.
She also has something intangible, which would be attractive to any coach across the collegiate sports landscape.
Molloy embodies the maxim that when outcomes are on the line and plays need to be made, the amount of fight in the athlete is almost always more important than the size of the athlete engaged in the struggle.
How else to describe a 5-8 middle blocker getting it done at the top levels of high school and club volleyball? Well, besides some wicked mad hops.
Wagner intends to use Molloy as an outside hitter and as a defensive specialist/libero, positions where her physical skills will best allow her to flourish at the collegiate level.
"Kaitlyn is playing a very strong middle blocker right now, and that comes from her athleticism and jumping ability," Wagner said.
"She also has some very strong ball-handling and defensive skills, so we're confident in our ability to be able to quickly develop her into a dynamic, ball-control, left-side hitter in our program. That certainty comes from knowing that she is an extremely strong athlete, she trains hard, and she is very coachable.
"She'll fit right into our team, because she is tough-minded, fun to play with and a determined, aggressive competitor.
"On a number of different levels we feel very fortunate and excited to be adding Kaitlyn to our program."
Molloy will be on campus with her mother, Diane, this weekend for her official visit. It's another step in the process that will culminate next fall with Molloy realizing a childhood dream.
"You know how little boys always say, `I want to grow up to be a firefighter' or something like that?" she asks. "Well, I have always said I want to be a college volleyball player. I'm happy that all my hard work over the years finally got me to my goal."
That is not to say it all happened smoothly. Like most prep athletes her age, Molloy was struggling early during her decision-making process.
What volleyball program would be the best fit? What schools offered what majors? What did she eventually want to study?
Those questions remained mostly unanswered until she made an unofficial visit to the University of Montana.
"No schools seemed to spark my interest," Molloy admits now. "Then came the day I walked onto Montana's campus. I knew this is where I wanted to go.
"The volleyball program is solid, well-organized and well-coached, and the atmosphere of the school seems very fun.
"I'm especially excited about the spirit everyone has for the Grizzlies!"
Molloy, who appears to wear confidence as naturally as most players wear knee pads, had no problems with Wagner's desire to move her out of the middle, where players are typically in the six-foot to six-two range in the Big Sky Conference.
She'll use that experience of playing in the middle to her benefit as she makes the transition to outside hitter and backcourt stalwart.
"I'm very excited about the roles I'm being recruited to fill," she said. "I have been the shortest middle blocker since I can remember, and because of that I have learned how to dominate hitting around a solid block.
"With that experience, I think I'll have an easy transition to outside hitter. And defense has been, and always will be, my passion.
"I'm ecstatic to be recruited into that role at such a high level of competition."
During Molloy's recruitment, Wagner had the benefit of first-hand testament of what Molloy is like as a teammate and how she would fit in with the Grizzlies. All he had to do was ask Reno.
"Kayla really enjoyed Kaitlyn as a teammate during their high school playing days, and she had nothing but good things to say on her behalf.
"Those good things were evident every time we observed Kaitlyn play. The attributes we like to see people compete with, she has those things."
Molloy has similar good things to say about her former teammate, who will be a teammate once again in August.
"Kayla is an amazing player and person," Molloy said. "She was definitely someone I looked up to while we played together for Graham-Kapowsin.
"The fact that we get to play together again in an even more competitive program is something that I am greatly looking forward to."
