After a memorable career with the Texas Longhorns, capped with a second straight national championship, Mansfield’s Molly Phillips is headed to the west coast.
Phillips was among the top players during her five-year indoor career in Austin.
She announced her transfer to the beach volleyball team at the University of Southern Cal.
“Thank you Longhorn nation for the most rewarding five years I could have ever asked for. This program is something special and will always be home. Good people love people and Texas volleyball hit the jackpot with good people. Freshman year me would never believe she would leave this pace with back to back national championships. 5th year me is still trying to wrap my mind around it. Hook ‘Em Forever,” she said in a post on Instagram.
Phillips was one of DFW’s best players during her time at Mansfield High.
She was four-time all-district and two-time district hitter of the year.
During her last two seasons with the Tigers, Phillips posted over 1,400 kills on 0.307 hitting and 150 total blocks. She signed her letter of intent with UT in November of her senior year.
Standing at 6-5, Phillips made an immediate impact for the Horns. As a freshman, Phillips appeared in 27 matches and 95 sets while posting a 0.292 hitting percentage with 70 blocks and 111 points scored.
Then during the next three years, she hit 0.345, 0.383 and 0.381 with 150 or more kills and 60 or more blocks in every season. She was granted a fifth year due to COVID and this season registered a career high 32 matches and 107 sets along with 167 kills, 0.279 hitting, 215 points accounted for and 88 blocks – one shy of her best mark.
One of her best games of 2023 came in the national semifinals vs Wisconsin.
In the Horns’ 3-1 win, Phillips posted 10 kills – the second highest of her season.
Texas went on to dominate Nebraska in a 3-0 sweep during the national championship.
In five seasons with UT, the Mansfield great had career marks of 773 kills in 145 matches with a 0.341 hitting percentage, 387 blocks and 976.5 points scored. She was a Big 12 Rookie of the Week in 2019, honored with second team All-Big 12 twice (2020, 2021), first team All-Big 12 in 2022 as well as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week once last season.
While Phillips transitions to USC beach – in what will be her final season of eligibility – she isn’t new to the sand scene. UT created a beach volleyball team for the first time earlier this year. Without any scholarships to fill a team, the indoor program pulled double duty and played for the beach team.
The beach program at USC is one of the best in the country.
The Trojans beat UCLA in May for their third straight national championship and sixth overall.
