A father who played professional tennis, a whole family of tennis players and her love of a challenge led University of Idaho senior Molly Knox to her status as captain of the Idaho women’s tennis team and a 4.0 student-athlete.
Knox said she played multiple sports growing up, but started focusing more on tennis in seventh grade when she started taking lessons and playing in tournaments.
“I stuck with tennis because it is a family sport,” Knox said. “My grandpa and his twin brother played for Central Washington and were top players in the Pacific Northwest and that passed down to my dad who, like me, played tennis at the University of Idaho.”
Knox’s father later played professionally and her parents traveled to Australia and New Zealand to play in satellite tournaments and even the Australian Open together. Knox said the love for tennis does not stop at her parents in her family tree.
“It’s a sport that my brothers and sisters play too so it is something we have always been able to do as a family and it makes it personal for us,” Knox said.
Knox chose tennis for reasons outside of a family legacy.
“Tennis is a lot different than team sports like volleyball and soccer because you can’t rely on as many people and it’s more up to you so it’s a really good challenge for your mental strength and your physical ability,” Knox said.
Knox said she does not claim to be the most coordinated or athletic person, but when she steps on the court she competes hard and follows coach Daniel Pollock’s instruction.
Her efforts do not go unnoticed by Pollock. He said Knox is a great student, great athlete and gives it all in everything she does.
“You can count on her every day at practice or at matches to show up and give it a hundred percent,” Pollock said. “I told her the reason I wanted her as captain is that she is the model student athlete that I want my team to be.”
Pollock calls it team captain but Knox, as a fifth-year senior, has a little different term for her spot on the team.
“I am kind of the team grandma,” Knox said. “So I guess that’s captain as well but I try to do my best to show them academically and at practice just to try as hard as you can and to support each other because that’s what has really gotten me by the last three or four years playing tennis.”
Pollock said Knox is definitely the oldest on Idaho’s young team, but still gets along great with the other players and enjoys the role. He said the team chemistry is amazing this year and he attributes a large part of that to Knox.
“I think she has done a good job kind of molding the other girls in to that kind of same mold that she fits so she has been a big help this year,” Pollock said.
He said as far as a tennis player, she is the perfect mold for any coach.
“If you have a player that will come out, will accept constructive criticism and work really hard to make any changes you see will help them with their game, there is nothing more you can ask as a coach,” Pollock said.
The feeling is mutual and Knox returned her admiration of Pollock.
“I have had a lot of coaches and Dan cares a lot,” Knox said.
She said Pollock has been particular in helping everyone.
“It’s really special to have a coach that cares that much for you and so he is great, I wish I could have had him every year,” Knox said.
She said her time at UI has been amazing and that the athletic community is like one big family.
Knox, whose perfect GPA speaks for itself, said an education is what she came to school for, but tennis is helping her get through college. She would like to go to medical school when she graduates in May.
Knox said no matter what direction she takes, tennis will always be a huge part of her life.
“School takes priority for sure, but I will always play tennis, and then hopefully come back and watch the girls play next year and just keep supporting Idaho,” Knox said.
Pollock said Knox’s work ethic and commendable character, will create a great future for her.
“Tennis is something that she loves to play and I think she will always play but I know for sure that her passion is her academics and she is off to med school after this,” Pollock said. “She is a 4.0 student so I think she is going to be extremely successful in whatever she decides to do.”