Alyssa Munlyn is modest when discussing the accolades accumulated throughout her Mizzou volleyball career: SEC Freshman of the Year, multiple All-SEC team mentions, dean’s lists and academic awards, to name a few. But there’s one distinct “honor.” It’s one Munlyn has collected three consecutive seasons and one she hopes to avenge heading into her senior year this fall.

All-America Honorable Mention.

“Getting that ‘honorable mention’ makes me fiery inside,” Munlyn says. “It makes me want to push myself even harder.”

That internal inferno should terrify opposing SEC squads heading into her 2018 campaign, which begins Aug. 24 at the James Madison Invitational in Harrisonburg, Virginia, against Delaware State.

Munlyn burst onto the scene her freshman year, breaking single-season records for blocks (149) and block assists (124). The soaring middle blocker factored mightily on Mizzou’s 2016 SEC Championship team that went 27-6 (16-2 SEC). In 2017, she finished second in the SEC in blocks (189) and blocks per set (1.44). And still, you still might say the best is yet to come.

The daughter of James Munlyn and Rebecca Foster Munlyn, both Georgia Tech basketball alumni, Alyssa juggled basketball and volleyball until her senior year at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Although she came by her basketball skills naturally, volleyball was a labor of love. “It took a little longer for me to catch on, and it didn’t come to me as easily as basketball,” says Munlyn, whose 2014 high school volleyball team finished state runner up in Georgia. “I loved volleyball all along, don’t get me wrong. But it was good for me to have those moments to step back, learn and work harder. Some people say, ‘You were born a volleyball player.’ That’s just not true.”

Mizzou, the first big-time school to recruit Munlyn, noticed her work ethic and raw talent. Her high school coaches appreciated the program’s consistency, and endorsed Mizzou. Off the court, Munlyn leads with her heart. A communications major with a minor in human development and family studies, she hopes to pursue a career helping inner-city youth and young athletes. Munlyn and fellow Mizzou student-athletes spent time this summer in Haiti with Soles4Souls, a charity organization that collects and redistributes shoes to people in need. The trip took Tigers to schools and orphanages, where they fit youngsters for shoes and bonded for life.

“I do my best to spread love and laughter,” Munlyn says. “I try to be someone who can always put light in the situation, and someone you can see God’s work through.”