In a profession dominated by men, there's soon to be a new star.  WSSU volleyball standout Myra Wallace wants to be a sports agent.  And if she attacks her dream the way she attacks balls on the volleyball court, success is just around the corner.
 
"I want to help athletes get to where they want to be in life," Wallace explained.  "I want to lift them up and help them achieve their dreams.  I want to make sure they're well-taken care of and when they get to where they want to be, they stay there."
 
Wallace will graduate in May with a business administration degree with a concentration in marketing.  You can also a sports management degree to her impressive credentials.
 
She has followed in the footsteps of her mother, Wendy, who played basketball and volleyball.  Wallace had college offers for both sports.  She chose volleyball. 
 
The path to WSSU can be attributed to family members.  "I had never heard of WSSU," said Wallace, who is from Madison, Alabama.  "I had some family who lived in Cary and Raleigh.  They told me about Winston.
 
"My mom sent some highlights," she continued.  "I came for a visit and fell in love with the campus.  It's the best decision I have ever made.  I wouldn't go back and change a thing."
 
She was sold on the campus environment.  "The team was very welcoming," recalled Wallace.  "Everybody here was so welcoming."
 
Wallace began playing volleyball in the fifth grade.  "I love the energy it brings," she said.  "I like being able to sacrifice my body for the ball.  I like to get the fans into the game. I like being able to keep the ball off the floor."
 
As the team's libero, Wallace wears a different color jersey, something she also likes.  But the position also carries a different responsibility.
"I'm expected to get everything," she confessed.  "You have that jersey on for a reason. 
 
"It does come with some pressure," added Wallace, "but it's nothing I can't handle.  I just go out there and play my game.  I know my coaches and teammates believe in me."
 
Like any sport, having the proper mental attitude is a must.  "If I mess up it can really get into my head," she said.  "Sometimes I ask the coach to take me out of the game.  The mental aspect really affects everything in life, too.  I'm still working on that, too."
 
Wallace reached 1,000 career digs in the WSSU match against Virginia State.  A week later she accomplished a season-high 26 digs against Johnson C. Smith.  She was twice named CIAA Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Those are significant accomplishments for a person who describes herself as "a little shy and goofy" although she admits most people would find that hard to believe.  "I like to make a lot of funny faces and goofy noises," said Wallace.  "I crack jokes and dance a lot before games.  I just do a bunch of goofy stuff."
 
 
Reaching the century mark in digs was special for Wallace.  "My mom once got 1,000 assists in college," she said.  "I'm an only child and she has always been my number one fan. She always made me earn things like having good grades and making sure I did my chores."
 
Becoming a successful sports agent can mean financial security.  It will also allow Wallace to achieve several goals.  "I see myself as married and hopefully having my first child.  I want to live in a good-sized house wherever I want to live.  I don't know where that's going to be.  I want to be able to take care of my mom like she took care of me."
 
Wallace said there aren't a lot of differences between Division I and Division II volleyball.  "They may have a little more height," she said, "but they still make the same mistakes."
 
She encourages young African American women to consider playing at a HBCU.  "If you have the opportunity, it may not be DI, but you can't experience it anywhere else.  Girls look like me here.  This is where I want to be."