When Malorie Pardo came to Baton Rouge in 2011, she started at setter as a freshman in 27 of the Tigers’ 30 matches.
She learned the ropes of the LSU volleyball team on the court and matured quickly. In that season, Pardo was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team and All-Louisiana First Team.
With her senior season drawing to a close, Pardo ranks second in LSU history in assists with 4,778 and is one of 15 players to earn more than 1,000 career digs.
Junior outside hitter Katie Lindelow said Pardo’s passes have made her job easy during her three years with the Tigers. Junior defensive specialist Haley Smith said she might not be on the team if not for Pardo.
Smith was trying to walk on for the 2012 season. As a defensive specialist, her main responsibility is to dig kill attempts with a pass to Pardo, who’s support was crucial to Smith making the team.
“Her courage and her support in me, personally, when I first was trying out for this team was incredible,” Smith said. “I wasn’t that good, I’ll say that. But she supported me through the whole entire thing to keep going and be what I am today.”
Since 2012, Smith said Pardo has helped her become a better passer. But Pardo has helped LSU coach Fran Flory even more.
Pardo has become an extension of Flory on the court during her four years starting for the Tigers.
“Mal and I have a different language,” Flory said. “I can just look at her and she knows what I’m thinking. She can look at me and I can kind of differentiate what she’s feeling and where she’s going and what she needs. The trust factor for us is certainly there.”
On the court, Pardo is quick to pick up any teammate upset with her own play or the official and get them focused back on the next point saying, “This one’s ours.”
Off the court, Smith said Pardo is like a mom to the Tigers.
Pardo doesn’t live with anyone on the team anymore, which Flory said helps the team look at her differently from the rest of her teammates, but she thinks her team looks up to Pardo mostly because she has her life plans set.
The senior setter is going to be a elementary school teacher.
“I want to be in the classroom and I want to coach some knowledge especially with the younger ones,” Pardo said. “I want to install that knowledge that you have for life. You never forget the things you learn first and I want to be that person that helps [them learn] that.”
Pardo has gotten her first taste of teaching this year. She has been teaching her potential successor, freshman Elly Ogle, the same things she learned her freshman season.
When Ogle came to Baton Rouge this summer, Pardo helped her learn how each one of the players likes to have the ball set. Ogle said she thinks Pardo has the patience of a teacher.
Flory said she hopes her team gives the senior setter a special end to her college career before Pardo begins her future career. Smith called Pardo a unique character and said what she does will be impossible to replicate.
“She’s going to be irreplaceable.” Smith said. “Someone will to have to step in and be at that setter position, but nobody can do the same things that Malorie can. I’m not saying that it’s going to be worse. I’m just saying, it’s going to be different.”