Mallori Moffat and Nicole Walch lead Martin County girls volleyball team

Thursday, November 17, 2011
by Jeff Greer

Mallori Moffat and Nicole Walch haven't exactly contemplated what their legacy will be at Martin County. They haven't had time.

The standout seniors have been busy leading Martin County to its seventh state tournament berth in school history, winning 25 matches in the process. The Tigers (25-5) play Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas (20-5) at noon Friday in a Class 7A state semifinal matchup at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

"We don't really think about all that stuff; we just focus on getting our team ready to play," Moffat said. "We want to do whatever it takes to win."

They've done a lot of that in their careers. The duo helped the Tigers win the 2009 state championship - the first school title came in 1994 - and then led them to a berth in the state final last season.

Along the way, Moffat, a 5-foot-6 setter, broke the school record for career assists and single-season assists. Walch, a 6-2 outside hitter, shattered the school's career kills record.

Walch has signed to play at Florida State next fall while Moffat is still deciding.

"They make our entire team," second-year coach Krissy Schmidt said. "It's awesome because you've got two completely different positions. Mallori's running all over the court all the time and Nicole's putting points away."

The Moffat-Walch partnership has existed for years. Their birthdays are two days apart. They lived in the same development growing up. Their parents met each other in the hospital the week the two were born.

That close relationship shows on the court.

"We always have fun together," Walch said. "We talk about everything and just always laugh."

What Martin County volleyball fans will talk about after Moffat and Walch leave is still undecided.

Another state championship would cement their legacy as the greatest volleyball players in school history, though they've already got a pretty good claim to that.

But for now, neither Walch nor Moffat cares about any of that. Friday's match is the start of what they want to be a two-day journey to the top.

One final run at a trophy. One final stamp on their legacy.

"I don't think it's pressure to have to do it," Walch said, "it's pressure to want to do it. We're capable of doing it. We know we are."