Molly Tuozzo is an all-SEC libero and one of the best junior players in the country.
By LARRY VAUGHT
Centre College junior setter Olivia Chojnacki has not been surprised by the success Molly Tuozzo has had playing volleyball at the University of Kentucky. They were teammates at Woodlands High School in Woodlands, Texas, before both opted to play college volleyball in the Bluegrass. Chojnacki missed the 2024 season with a knee injury, while Tuozzo took over as the starting libero at UK and helped the Cats reach the Elite Eight. This season, Tuozzo has 67 digs in UK’s first four matches, including a win over defending national champion Penn State, going into Saturday’s matchup with No. 10 SMU in Lexington.
“She’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with, one of the most talented people I know,” the Centre junior said. “She’s just someone who was born with pure and raw talent, and she was able to put it to really good use. We had a lot of fun, and we did a lot of big things. We went to state my senior year, something our school had not done for a long time. It was awesome playing with her.”
Chojnacki said she could tell in middle school how special Tuozzo, a preseason all-SEC pick, would be.
“We all knew that she was better than most people we’d ever seen. She is so athletic and has always had a huge vertical (jump), probably the highest vertical of any team I’ve ever been on by far,” Chojnacki said. “She’s also relentless and thinks she should get to every ball, and usually does.”
While Tuozzo was not overly talkative when she got to UK, Chojnacki is not surprised that her former high school teammate has grown more comfortable as a team leader.
Molly Tuozzo is an all-SEC libero and one of the best junior players in the country.
“She was just this huge light to all of us in high school. Always super happy, super energetic. She always was cheering all of us on and was someone you wanted to surround yourself with,” the Centre player said. “She has always had this huge personality, laughing and making other people laugh. She was just someone you wanted in your life and on your team.”
Tuozzo and Chojnacki remain friends, and the UK junior said she wishes she had a chance to watch Centre play. Chojnacki went to Kentucky’s spring game, and the two talked after the match.
“My dad is still really good friends with her dad, and they talk all the time,” Chojnacki said. “I wish I could go see her play, but we have kind of the same schedules with practice and matches.”
Chojnacki said some of her teammates know she played with Tuozzo, but most do not.
“It comes up sometimes, but I just tell them we all knew she would be this good. It was crazy to see her start at Kentucky as a freshman, but deep down it was not a surprise because we knew she was that good,” Chojnacki said. “She’s just one of the most talented liberos you will ever find, nd and I’m just thrilled I got to play with her in high school and get to watch what she’s doing now.”
