Pyles feels prepared, excited to make the jump to Montana
11/29/2021 1:35:00 PM | Volleyball
If you think hand-written letters are old fashioned and a thing of the past, think again. Just ask head volleyball coach Allison Lawrence or recent signee Maddie Pyles.
Pyles, a 5-10 outside hitter from Kennedale, Texas, outside of Dallas, signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this month, on the first day of National Signing Day. But she first took notice of the Montana volleyball program more than a year prior, thanks to a few simple hand-written letters.
"The written letters from Coach Allison and Coach Dana (Hallisey) were so different and unique, and it made it really personable," Pyles said after signing her NLI. "It made me feel like I was really wanted by them and just really helped build the relationship a lot better."
The truth is, the Griz did really want Pyles. And if you ask Lawrence, who started communicating with the outside hitter in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she'll tell you she thinks Montana found a steal in Pyles.
Pyles plays for Mad Frog Volleyball Club, one of the most-competitive club teams in the nation, annually churning out Division-I player after Division-I player. Known for its competitive training schedule that, in many ways, mimics a Division-I program, Pyles has been getting a taste of college volleyball for several years now.
While playing with Mad Frog since she was 14, Pyles has grown from a role player to a middle blocker to a full, six-rotation outside hitter on a team chock-full of talent.
"When she got moved to the outside and really expanded her game, playing alongside a team that is loaded with hitters, it was right as COVID was taking off," Lawrence recalled. "Not a lot of people were seeing her, which I think greatly benefited us."
That remained over the next year, during a nation-wide recruiting dead period where coaches couldn't recruit off campus and potential athletes couldn't take official visits.
But the Montana coaching staff stayed in touch with Pyles through phone calls and letters, and through it all – the conversations with her and the film breakdown of her – it became very clear that Pyles was a fit on and off the court.
"As soon as the recruiting calendar opened up again, she was the first place that I went to," Lawrence said. "She was our first priority."
A few weeks later, Pyles was on campus taking a tour of her future home.
"I absolutely loved it," she said of her June visit. "I felt like I fit in really well and everybody was super kind. It was perfect. It felt like home."
Pyles liked the atmosphere of Montana, both the tradition of the athletics department and the homey feel of Missoula. She liked that when you go around town, everywhere you look there are people who love the Griz. Even though she's not from the Treasure State, she loves the rivalry aspect.
"I love that the state is divided between Montana and Montana State," she said. "The rivalry gets me going. I'm so excited to be part of that rivalry."
And then, of course, she loved the people.
"When I came and met the coaches and team, it felt so different from anywhere else," she said. "They were so kind and they cared about me. I'm a people-person, and I think there are really great people at Montana."
On the final night of her visit, the plan was to tell the coaching staff at dinner that she wanted to become a Grizzly. She had it all planned out, how she wanted to do it and what she wanted to say.
But then, kombucha got in the way.
Yes, kombucha, the fermented tea that is a staple among the Griz coaching staff. Pyles tried it for the first time earlier in the day and by dinnertime it wasn't settling well.
"I felt absolutely terrible at dinner," she said.
Recalled Lawrence: "I didn't think there was any way she was going to commit that night."
It got so bad that Pyles had to leave dinner mid-meal to go back to the hotel. But first, she wanted to address the elephant in the room.
"I got up and said, 'I really want to commit to Montana' and then left and my dad walked me back to the hotel," Pyles said with a laugh.
That's kind of who Maddie Pyles is. She just rolls with the punches and makes the best of situations.
Like in the fourth grade when she had to choose which sport to really pursue.
Basketball was her thing, she'll admit, but she was better at volleyball, so she went that route, even though – at the time – basketball was the direction she wanted to go.
Or the early years with Mad Frog. On a roster filled with future college athletes, she had to wait her turn. For some, the idea of patiently waiting wouldn't work, but for Pyles, she made the best of it, and now, she's better for it.
"Because she played middle, she can block and move well," Lawrence said. "Because she is now a six-rotation player on her team, she can pass and play defense. She can be a weapon in a lot of ways."
Playing for Mad Frog at the age of 14 could be grueling at times. The way the club trains, travels and competes in national tournaments, it truly models the demands of a Division-I program.
But it's also made her who she is today.
She now is a major contributor on her club team and is the star of her Kennedale High School team.
Playing for the Lady Kats, she was recently named the District 10-4A MVP. In her four-year career, her team won a school-record 118 wins, went 38-0 in district and earned back-to-back state semifinal appearances. She's her school's all-time kills leader, with roughly 1,500, and earlier this month was named one of the top-six attackers in the state of Texas by Lone Star Preps.
"As soon as we saw a few clips of her hitting, we were kind of sold right from the get-go," Lawrence said of her first impression of Pyles. "Recruiting athletes based off of video is a challenge, but the things that stood out about Maddie was her explosiveness and her athleticism."
"There was something about her that felt special, even from our first phone call," Lawrence said. "She had a warmth to her that made you want to get to know her more. She's so genuine, personable and charismatic and that showed itself early and just got better and better from there."
Pyles feels like she's ready to make the jump to Division-I volleyball. She agrees with Lawrence's assessment that Mad Frog prepares athletes for the next level because of how fast-paced everything is. Her older sister, Maggie, also played at the college level
But mostly, Pyles is eager to get to Montana and get started.
"I'm just so excited to be there and work hard with the team," she said. "When I get excited about something, it becomes all I can think about, and that's how I am with Montana. I think we're going to work hard and have a whole lot of fun these next several years, and I think Montana is going to be a great place for me."
The early signing period began on Nov. 9, with Maddie Pyles and Olivia Boulding signing a National Letter of Intent that day. To read more about Boulding, click here.
Pyles, a 5-10 outside hitter from Kennedale, Texas, outside of Dallas, signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this month, on the first day of National Signing Day. But she first took notice of the Montana volleyball program more than a year prior, thanks to a few simple hand-written letters.
"The written letters from Coach Allison and Coach Dana (Hallisey) were so different and unique, and it made it really personable," Pyles said after signing her NLI. "It made me feel like I was really wanted by them and just really helped build the relationship a lot better."
The truth is, the Griz did really want Pyles. And if you ask Lawrence, who started communicating with the outside hitter in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she'll tell you she thinks Montana found a steal in Pyles.
Pyles plays for Mad Frog Volleyball Club, one of the most-competitive club teams in the nation, annually churning out Division-I player after Division-I player. Known for its competitive training schedule that, in many ways, mimics a Division-I program, Pyles has been getting a taste of college volleyball for several years now.
While playing with Mad Frog since she was 14, Pyles has grown from a role player to a middle blocker to a full, six-rotation outside hitter on a team chock-full of talent.
"When she got moved to the outside and really expanded her game, playing alongside a team that is loaded with hitters, it was right as COVID was taking off," Lawrence recalled. "Not a lot of people were seeing her, which I think greatly benefited us."
That remained over the next year, during a nation-wide recruiting dead period where coaches couldn't recruit off campus and potential athletes couldn't take official visits.
But the Montana coaching staff stayed in touch with Pyles through phone calls and letters, and through it all – the conversations with her and the film breakdown of her – it became very clear that Pyles was a fit on and off the court.
"As soon as the recruiting calendar opened up again, she was the first place that I went to," Lawrence said. "She was our first priority."
A few weeks later, Pyles was on campus taking a tour of her future home.
"I absolutely loved it," she said of her June visit. "I felt like I fit in really well and everybody was super kind. It was perfect. It felt like home."
Pyles liked the atmosphere of Montana, both the tradition of the athletics department and the homey feel of Missoula. She liked that when you go around town, everywhere you look there are people who love the Griz. Even though she's not from the Treasure State, she loves the rivalry aspect.
"I love that the state is divided between Montana and Montana State," she said. "The rivalry gets me going. I'm so excited to be part of that rivalry."
And then, of course, she loved the people.
"When I came and met the coaches and team, it felt so different from anywhere else," she said. "They were so kind and they cared about me. I'm a people-person, and I think there are really great people at Montana."
On the final night of her visit, the plan was to tell the coaching staff at dinner that she wanted to become a Grizzly. She had it all planned out, how she wanted to do it and what she wanted to say.
But then, kombucha got in the way.
Yes, kombucha, the fermented tea that is a staple among the Griz coaching staff. Pyles tried it for the first time earlier in the day and by dinnertime it wasn't settling well.
"I felt absolutely terrible at dinner," she said.
Recalled Lawrence: "I didn't think there was any way she was going to commit that night."
It got so bad that Pyles had to leave dinner mid-meal to go back to the hotel. But first, she wanted to address the elephant in the room.
"I got up and said, 'I really want to commit to Montana' and then left and my dad walked me back to the hotel," Pyles said with a laugh.
It's not the perfect story she was hoping for, but it gave her a good laugh that she now enjoys telling people about.From the Lone Star State to the Treasure State. @maddiepyles04 is officially a Grizzly!#GrizVB #NSD21 #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/nQIQLhdB3a
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) November 11, 2021
That's kind of who Maddie Pyles is. She just rolls with the punches and makes the best of situations.
Like in the fourth grade when she had to choose which sport to really pursue.
Basketball was her thing, she'll admit, but she was better at volleyball, so she went that route, even though – at the time – basketball was the direction she wanted to go.
Or the early years with Mad Frog. On a roster filled with future college athletes, she had to wait her turn. For some, the idea of patiently waiting wouldn't work, but for Pyles, she made the best of it, and now, she's better for it.
"Because she played middle, she can block and move well," Lawrence said. "Because she is now a six-rotation player on her team, she can pass and play defense. She can be a weapon in a lot of ways."
Playing for Mad Frog at the age of 14 could be grueling at times. The way the club trains, travels and competes in national tournaments, it truly models the demands of a Division-I program.
But it's also made her who she is today.
She now is a major contributor on her club team and is the star of her Kennedale High School team.
Playing for the Lady Kats, she was recently named the District 10-4A MVP. In her four-year career, her team won a school-record 118 wins, went 38-0 in district and earned back-to-back state semifinal appearances. She's her school's all-time kills leader, with roughly 1,500, and earlier this month was named one of the top-six attackers in the state of Texas by Lone Star Preps.
She earned three all-state honors and academic recognition every year, as well.‼️🎉 Kennedale High has a new ALL TIME KILL LEADER! @maddiepyles04 had an outstanding night with 27 kills, setting the new kill record at 1,371! More to come from this senior! @MontanaGrizVB @Gosset41 pic.twitter.com/Te1kkFTNXT
— Lady Kats Volleyball (@CoachCarl4) September 18, 2021
"As soon as we saw a few clips of her hitting, we were kind of sold right from the get-go," Lawrence said of her first impression of Pyles. "Recruiting athletes based off of video is a challenge, but the things that stood out about Maddie was her explosiveness and her athleticism."
Once Lawrence saw it in person, it became even more evident that Pyles had the talent to play at the next level, but even bigger was who Pyles is off the court.Over 1,000 of these for Kennedale senior @maddiepyles04 who has the chance of hitting 1,500 kills in her amazing career @CoachCarl4 #txhsvb pic.twitter.com/b6akL8DGiP
— Brian Gosset (@Gosset41) August 10, 2021
"There was something about her that felt special, even from our first phone call," Lawrence said. "She had a warmth to her that made you want to get to know her more. She's so genuine, personable and charismatic and that showed itself early and just got better and better from there."
Pyles feels like she's ready to make the jump to Division-I volleyball. She agrees with Lawrence's assessment that Mad Frog prepares athletes for the next level because of how fast-paced everything is. Her older sister, Maggie, also played at the college level
But mostly, Pyles is eager to get to Montana and get started.
"I'm just so excited to be there and work hard with the team," she said. "When I get excited about something, it becomes all I can think about, and that's how I am with Montana. I think we're going to work hard and have a whole lot of fun these next several years, and I think Montana is going to be a great place for me."
The early signing period began on Nov. 9, with Maddie Pyles and Olivia Boulding signing a National Letter of Intent that day. To read more about Boulding, click here.
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