The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
#MondaysWithMolly
11.09.2015 | Volleyball
Senior Molly McCage weighs in on fan questions from around the world.
Texas Volleyball fans from around the world tweeted in questions and asked for advice from senior middle blocker Molly McCage with the hashtag, #MondaysWithMolly.
Here is what she had to say:
What is your major and what are your activities outside of volleyball?
Molly: My major is Corporate Communication. Outside of volleyball, I get my school work done. Honestly, I love to read, so any chance I get that I can skip out on scholarly articles, I like to read on my own--John Green and Harry Potter, or anything new and fun.
How do you manage volleyball and school together?
Molly: I have a very well-organized planner and tons of help from my coaches, academic counselor and teammates. Teamwork makes the dream work! Even in completing assignments. I have to plan well, telling my professors ahead of time if I'm going to be out of town.
What was your favorite school subject in elementary and middle school?
Molly: I really enjoyed learning how to write, especially in cursive. All my classmates hated it, but I still write in cursive. I also loved PE—I played every sport except for volleyball, ironically.
What advice to you have for an injured athlete attempting to make it back to volleyball?
Molly: I lived with Nicole Dalton forever and she has been so great being patient with her injuries because she has done everything possible to make herself better—rehab, extra lifting and cardio that is really hard and also being extremely supportive of her teammates—which is really important. Continuing to be part of the team and contributing is huge—you will have extra work and more than your teammates, but that's what you need to do to get better.
What advice to you have for a sophomore in high school hoping to make varsity?
Molly: Work hard and have a great attitude. Make sure your coach sees that you work hard. There are no days off for you, don't let anyone outwork you.
What will you miss most from college besides your teammates?
Molly: I'm really going to miss the rigorous schedule of volleyball and people taking care of you. I will miss having a concrete goal and a routine that so many people work on and depend on each other to achieve. After college, I hope to find something similar. I love to work out, but it's a lot harder when you don't have to go. I'm just going to miss being a college student at UT.
Do you have any advice for getting college recruiters' attention?
Molly: Work hard. This goes back to being in the gym. Outwork your teammates. College coaches are looking for the whole package—be a teammate and interact with your teammates. Be independent—don't rely on your parents to help you through matches.
Do you feel that club volleyball is worth the investment for gaining recognition?
Molly: Yes. Even if your club team isn't that great, you will get better the more touches you have on the ball.
How old and tall were you when you started playing volleyball?
Molly: I first started in seventh grade, I think I was 5-5, but by the end of the school year I was 6-0. I got more serious when I was 14.
When your team is down, what do you say to encourage them?
Molly: We stress the importance of saying, "next ball," so I have to think that every point is an opportunity to advance and not let points bleed into each other. Mistakes need to be erased before the next ball.
If you had a parrot, what word or phrase would you teach it to say?
Molly: Something really complicated, like a quantum theory so I could memorize and learn it.
What are some ways you got really good at your slide hit?
Molly: I am a lot more effective off of one foot--maybe because I used to play basketball and high jump.
When did you decide that you wanted to attend UT?
Molly: I decided at the end of my sophomore year. Rachael Adams and Heather Kisner were so accepting and everyone on the team was really close. I really liked the coaches. I knew I would have good teammates--Chloe had already committed and Amy committed soon after. That was big, because the people around the program and coming in loved the sport of volleyball. And the criteria swayed my decision as well—UT was a great school, having it close to home is nice, Austin is a great city and I have family here.
With your final home games coming up, what have been your fondest memories of Gregory Gym?
Molly: There are so many…there have been practices where I have been in so much physical pain—I love the fact that we have put so many hours and so many buckets of sweat to get where we are. I will never forget the USC match to go to the Final Four (in 2012). The whole night—preparing for it, I just had great vibes the whole day.
What were the keys in your mind that turned UT into such a national powerhouse?
Molly: I came into a winning program. To sustain that is difficult, but everyone here is in it together—academics, coaches, Donnie Maib our strength coach. I have always come with the mindset of, let's take one match at a time and ultimately that resulted in a winning record. Intense focus, every practice, every touch, every detail down to how your pinky finger needs to look on a block—we have put such a premium on every step we take and that has given us success.
When players pull the front of their shirts, what is the message?
Molly: When they were younger, the setters used it to hide the play call. Now it's just more of a habit than anything.
Will we see you playing for Team USA in 2020 in Tokyo?
Molly: That is a dream, I would love to! There are a ton of steps that I need to take to get to that goal—I still have a lot of growing to do.
How and when did you meet Amy Neal? Did you have any idea how big a role you two would have?
Molly: I've played against Amy since I was 14. I never really knew who she was until I was 16. She committed a week after I did and I wrote on her Facebook wall. I didn't know I was going to play with her my senior year in club and that's how we got close.
I didn't know how much of a role we would have. Coming into my freshman year, I was thankful to make the starting lineup. I wanted to earn it. Just having that work-hard mentality helped both of us. I've always known she is a great athlete.
What is your basic food philosophy when training and competing, and do you have any favorite quick, on the go snack options that are high protein?
Molly: I make sure that I get a ton of protein, especially for my body type. I have an extremely uncontrollable sweet tooth, but I try to control. I eat a lot of protein bars with chocolate that are high in protein, but low in sugar. I try and stay away from processed food and make sure I stick to food that makes me feel good.
Thank you everyone for your questions! I will be back next week with more #MondaysWithMolly so tweet @TexasVolleyball if you are seeking advice or have a question.
