By Ashley Bourdier
LSU Sports Information
After playing in the shadows of an All-American, Melody Clark finally gets her time to shine as all eyes will be on the senior middle blocker in 2006.
Clark caught the attention of college’s coaches while attending Colorado Springs Christian High. She led the Loins to three district championships and was voted the Most Intimidating Blocker of class 3A. It comes as no surprise to head coach Fran Flory that Clark will be a main component to win matches.
“Mel brings a certain level of intensity and performance everyday; she’s a great leader on and off the court. She is truly one of the stabilizing forces on this team,” said Flory.
Clark’s numerous awards and honors are only part of the story. She played in all 107 games in 29 matches last season. In her final year up front for the Tigers, she’s ranked second on the team in blocks and blocks per game, along with a top 10 ranking in the SEC in hitting percentage.
She recorded a career best 18 kills at Saint Louis on Sept. 2. In that same match, she recorded a career best .615 hitting percentage. As a freshman, she posted her best blocking match with nine against Alabama. When opponents come her way, look for Melody to win those match-ups.
“Volleyball is my passion; I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stay away completely. It’s a huge part of my life. I try to keep the team up beat, keep everyone’s pace going and try not to get down. I think that’s what I can do best for the team,” said Clark.
A leader off the court as well, Melody is the Co-President of the Student Athletic Advisory Board for the 2006-07 season. She’s a member of the 2005 SEC Academic Honor Roll and a two-time member of the SEC Good Works Team in 2004 and 2005.
On the court, she earned Tiger Invitational and Dayton Marriott Invitational all-tournament team honors earlier this season. In 2005, she was chosen to be a member of all-tournament team at the 2005 Georgia State Invitational and earned all-tournament honors at the 2004 Hurricane Frances Invitational.
The 2006 LSU volleyball season is in full gear and the Tigers have some tough SEC teams heading their way.
“We have a lot of tough competition, but it’s good because it will prepare us to win,” said Clark. “We do better when we play harder teams. When we play slower teams, we slow down our level of playing. When we are up against harder teams it forces us to be fast and more physical and I think that will prepare us to beat the harder teams in the SEC.”
Last year, LSU received a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years.
“SEC is one of the hardest volleyball conferences, six teams out of the NCAA tournament are just from the SEC. We have a huge competition, everybody we play, there’s nobody that’s easy and we need to be on our toes,” said Clark.
Having solidified her role as a middle blocker for the Tigers last season, Clark is expected to dominate the court in 2006, which will be key to Tigers’ success this season.
“The 2006 season will be exciting for us,” said Flory. “We have a veteran team returning. We got a taste of what it was like to be in the NCAA Tournament and walked away wanting more.”
After carrying much of the load early in her career, don’t expect Clark to back down now.
“The nature of Mel is that she will always be an unsung hero, she’s going to make the plays that the average person who does not understand volleyball would not appreciate,” said Flory. “The people who appreciate volleyball know what a great player Melody Clark is. The coaching staff knows how valuable she is and the opponents prepare to defend Melody along with the others.”
“What’s important to Mel is not the recognition. What’s important to Mel is her senior year, and that this team takes the next step up and that she’s part of it.
A psychology major, after her playing career is complete Clark plans to attend graduate school to become a forensic psychologist.
“I’ve always had a huge fascination with the criminal mind,” said Clark.
Conquering the minds of criminals will have to wait because right now it’s up to opponents to try and figure out what Melody is thinking. They better be right because Clark’s blocking ability is almost criminal.