By Mark Schmerling

One year ago, Molly Corhn was attending Lees-McRae College. This past July, she was hired as Polk County High School’s varsity volleyball coach, where she guided the Wolverines to a 19-6 overall record.

Further, under Coach Molly Corhn Hill (who recently married), Polk earned a 10-1 Western Highlands Conference record, earning honors for Hill as WHC Volleyball Coach of the Year. Polk’s Kara Overholt was named WHC Volleyball player of the year, after leading the conference in assists, with 816.

After the regular season, the Wolverines defeated Franklin, 25-16, 25-13, 25-12, and then topped Salisbury, 25-10, 25-12, 25-10 in the first two rounds of the state tournament, before dropping a close match to Wheatmore.

“It was a great year,” Hill recounted. “We had some really good leadership from our seniors. They handled themselves really well.”

A young team, the Wolverines fielded just two seniors, including Overholt. Three freshmen bolstered the team.

Of her award, “I was really excited, and really honored,” Hill said. “I was extremely proud of them (her players). I thought they played really well.”

Hill heaped praise on Overholt, who she labeled “a great athlete.” Overholt also starred this past spring as goaltender on the Polk women’s soccer team that won two matches in the state tournament.

“She is one hundred percent deserving of this award,” Hill added.

In volleyball, Overholt played both front and back row.

While her team did not advance as far in the state tournament as Hill had hoped, she was still “very pleased.”

Other Wolverines earning all-conference honors were senior Sarah Phipps, juniors Ashley Love and Lily Owens, and freshman Kendall Hall.

Prior to this season, Hill had coached volleyball clubs, but this is her first varsity high school assignment.