Lady Flyers' Modlin Commits to Division I UNC-Asheville
Carley Modlin took a step toward becoming the first Sandhills Community College volleyball player to compete at the NCAA Division I level when she signed a national letter of intent to continue her career at UNC Asheville in the fall.
The 6-foot-1 middle blocker earned NJCAA Division III All-American and Academic All-American honors as a freshman. She was also named the Region 10 Player of the Year. This season she has helped the Lady Flyers get off to a 13-1 start, competing in NJCAA Division II for the first time.
Coaches, teammates, family members and friends attended the signing ceremony on Tuesday at Heins Gymnasium. The Lady Flyers volleyball program began in 2009.
"Starting in the 10th grade at Pinecrest, and through travel ball until now, I've definitely put the work in to get here so I'm thankful for the opportunity," Modlin said. "Being close to home was one of the reasons I chose Sandhills so moving away will be different, but I think volleyball will help.
"I've been talking to the coaches and some of the players about the college and Asheville, and I think it's going to be a great opportunity."
Modlin graduated from Pinecrest High School where she was the conference player of the year as a senior. She has been pursuing an associate degree in science at Sandhills. She plans to major in biology at UNCA in pursuit of a career in the medical field.
"I'm just excited for a great young lady," Flyers Coach Alicia Riggan said. "She does a great job on the court and in the classroom. She's a great teammate and a friend. You want to see success for players like that who are just really good people. Her teammates are excited for her and that's awesome."
Among those on hand for the occasion were Modlin's parents Carlton and Karen, and twin sisters Chloe and Emmie. Both sisters are 6-feet tall and were junior members of this season's Pinecrest squad that made it to the state semi-finals. An older sister, Tiffany, also played volleyball.
Carlton Modlin is 6-5 and played college basketball at Chowan University.
"We're real proud of Carley," he said. "She's worked hard. She always wanted to play DI and I'm glad she can check that off her list. We know her sisters look up to her and hope to follow in her footsteps.
"As a family we just try to support her. My family and Karen's family always supported us and we're carrying the tradition on. We fully expect that when they grow up they'll do the same thing."
UNC Asheville is a member of the Big South Conference. Frederico Santos is the head coach and Jen Peterson is an assistant coach. Away matches involving teams such as Campbell and High Point University won't require extensive travel for the family. Some will be televised.
Two more people who will continue to follow Modlin's college career closely are her Pinecrest coaches Scott Shepherd and Brandon Blackburn.
"Carley is paving the path for everybody else to finally break through that DI ceiling," Shepherd said. "We're through it now and we're probably going to see more girls down the line having signings for DI. I couldn't be any more proud of her."
Two days after the signing, Modlin was credited with a season-high 17 kills to go with four blocks, helping the Lady Flyers win their 11th match in a row at Lenoir Community College.
Now in the regular rotation as a server, she has committed only four service errors on the season and passed the ball well from the back. Riggan thinks the exposure to beach volleyball has helped improve the all-around games of all of her players.
"Carley came here and has worked really hard," Riggan said. "She had a powerful swing before this year, but it's definitely gotten stronger. She has gotten so strong in the weight room. You can see the definition.
"She has her foundation, but she is yet to peak as a player. I think going there and having additional coaching, she's going to be an incredible player."
With important matches coming up for the Lady Flyers and the possibility of post-season play in the offing, Modlin reflected on some of the things she's gained from being a part of the volleyball program.
"Definitely the love of the game through Coach Riggan, the other coaches and the girls," she said. "It's just made my love of the game even more.
"Coach Riggan has been an awesome person to me inside and outside of volleyball. She's definitely taught me a lot of things to take into life. I'm going to miss all of them."
C. Bergmann