Dual-threat volleyball players are hard to come by because of the usual height difference between players of various positions. Ohio freshman Mallory Salis, who is listed as 5-foot-8, is one of the Bobcats’ most versatile players, having found her niche playing both outside hitter and libero.
“She can be a back row player or she can hit outside, and we like that in her position,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “I think she’s been fitting in great. I think she’s been a very valuable asset for us.”
Salis has played in 49 of the Bobcats’ 50 sets this season and has notched 15 service aces, good for first on the team with sophomore setter Abby Gilleland. She has also totaled 104 digs, which is Ohio’s fourth-best mark.
She was successful in high school, as she won the SouthTown star player of the year award and was named to the Chicago Sun Times All-Area First Team for her play for Marist High School in Chicago.
Salis said that she wanted to play for Ohio since she was a freshman in high school.
“I started my recruiting when I was a freshman, which is really common for volleyball players,” Salis said. “My first schools were (Ohio) and Ohio State, and once I came here I committed verbally. Right in the beginning I found a school I wanted and I liked it.”
Salis said she was immediately drawn to Athens and felt she fit in with the team members.
As many who come to Ohio University say, Salis loved the school and surrounding city.
But the transition on the court and in the classroom, Salis said, took a bit to get used to — especially considering Ohio’s rigorous schedule.
“I think the hardest transition was the time management and all the volleyball,” Salis said. “It’s a lot of volleyball, a lot of focus, and a lot of dedication.”
Salis credits a pair of sophomore teammates for accelerating her learning curve at Ohio.
“During the summer I stayed in the dorms with Abby and Meredith (Ashy), and I think those were the two that really helped me,” Salis said. “I was with them in the summer and they really showed me what volleyball at Ohio is really all about.”
Ashy, a sophomore libero, said her younger cohort always has a jump in her step and is a welcome addition to the Bobcats’ back row.
“She’s a hustler, and she will dive for any ball possible,” she said. “There are some balls that I don’t even think can get off the ground and she busts her butt to get there. She’s been really good and she’s a back row attacker and I think that’s really effective.”
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