Dec. 12, 2002

By Bobby Hundley
UNC Athletic Communications

It's hard to imagine anything intimidating Molly Pyles. The sophomore outside hitter led Hendersonville High School to four consecutive state championships. She was tabbed as the tournament MVP on each occasion. As a freshman at Carolina, she was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman team and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

But the move from Hendersonville, N.C., a town of just more than 1,000 people, to Chapel Hill was not an easy one.

"The biggest adjustment was coming here and realizing that all these people were extremely competitive, and not everyone is your best friend, so it was a different experience for her," said Tar Heel head volleyball coach Joe Sagula, who has watched Pyles become one the best outside hitters in the ACC. "She was an extremely competitive player, and very talented, but it was a learning thing."

That competitiveness was called upon in the spring of 2002 when it became apparent that Nicole Reis, the team's leader in kills in 2001, would not be with the team for the fall campaign. "She took that responsibility and worked hard over the summer. She came in mentally ready, as if to say 'I know I've got to be good,'" Sagula said.

And good she has been. Her 3.42 kills per game placed her eighth in the conference and helped her earn All-ACC Second Team honors. Pyles was also named AVCA East Region Honorable Mention.

Despite her improved play and numerous accolades, Pyles' biggest change may have come off the court.

"I've grown so much these last few years - it's quite amazing. I came here, and I was very timid and very shy, especially when it came to the other 15 girls on my team. They were very outgoing, and they were such strong, independent people."

Pyles has never been without a teammate to relate to, however. Senior captain Laura Greene, a native of Yadkinville, N.C. (population 11,978), is both her friend and her road trip roommate. "I think Molly is my long lost sister, because we talk about our pasts and everything parallels. She's just a great friend and a great person, and sometimes those are hard to come by," said Greene, the 2002 ACC Player of the Year.

Greene and Pyles have been a potent combination for the Tar Heels in 2002, especially in the postseason. The pair combined for 46 kills - 23 each - in a 3-1 victory over South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Friday, a win which vaulted UNC to its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Pyles had the winning kill in all three games against the Gamecocks, including the match-clincher that sent the UNC bench sprawling onto the court in celebration.

Now the quiet redhead from the mountains of North Carolina is taking her game into the national spotlight. Pyles and her teammates battle the second-ranked Rainbow Wahine of the University of Hawai'i on Friday in the first Sweet Sixteen match in the history of UNC volleyball.

And it's the type of match Pyles has been preparing for her whole career.

"It was great to be the top dog in high school, but I was hungry for something more challenging. I wanted to see how I would fare against the national competition."

The Central Regional showdown will be hosted by fourth-ranked Nebraska at the UN Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. Game time for the Friday night match is 6 p.m. EST.