Manning's Career Comes Full Circle
Kyla Manning’s collegiate career has come full circle. The graduate student on South Carolina’s volleyball team started her career at Coastal Carolina where she was a two-time all-conference selection, but after earning her degree, she chose to continue her academic and athletics career with the Gamecocks, where her father, Barry (1989-1992), was a standout basketball player.
“Growing up, we weren’t constantly at the University,” said Manning, a native of Stone Mountain, Ga. “My dad didn’t really push it for me to go here, but when the opportunity came up, in his mind, it was an easy choice. I knew what I wanted. I met some of the girls and really enjoyed my experience with them. It was a quick visit, but it hit all the points I wanted. There was an opportunity (under the previous coaching staff) coming out of high school, but it didn’t really work out. I think it’s a really cool journey coming back to South Carolina after not really feeling it when I was in high school and then coming back and feeling it as a grad student.”
The Gamecocks have felt her presence on the court as Manning has helped South Carolina reach the NCAA Tournament this year for the third time in four seasons. She has enjoyed two seasons in the Garnet and Black after earning her undergraduate degree in biology at Coastal Carolina and is completing her master’s in biomedical sciences.
“That is a big reason why I came here,” Manning said. “South Carolina had a master’s program that I knew I would enjoy the most and aligned more with what I want to do in the future. I want to go to medical school, and my master’s program is through the School of Medicine at the University of South Carolina. I have classes with some med students. So, it’s the perfect environment to still be a student-athlete, and to do well in this environment makes me more confident in what I want to do in the future. It was important for me to find a program that fit my goals.”
Manning is considering ophthalmology or becoming an OBGYN.
“I’m going to be taking a gap year,” Manning explained. “I’ve already accepted a job in Charleston at the Medical University of South Carolina to work as a medical scribe for a year. Since I’ve been a student-athlete for so long, I haven’t had any time to get any clinical experience. So, I’ll be doing that this year and then I’ll be applying to medical schools.”
“I would choose South Carolina again in a heartbeat because of the experiences I have had.”
Manning’s mom (Kennetha) and dad both attended Eau Claire High School in Columbia before Barry attended South Carolina and Kennetha went to South Carolina State, where she ran track.
“Both my parents were student-athletes, and they’ve both given me advice about it over the years,” Manning said. “My dad really enjoyed his coach during his first three years at South Carolina. They had a good connection. One of the things he wanted me to look for wherever I went was to make sure I felt supported by the coaching staff. That’s one of the biggest differences I experienced here, with how much the staff believes in me. It’s allowed me to feel more confident in myself and my game.”
The volleyball program is no stranger to legacy student-athletes, and Coach Tom Mendoza is happy to keep that pipeline open.
“It says a lot about the experience that those parents had that they felt comfortable sending their daughters back to South Carolina to get an education and trusted the Athletics Department in make sure they had a good experience and were taken care of,” Mendoza said.
“We have Gabby Brown, whose older sister, Callie (2015-2018), played for us. We have Kiune Fletcher, whose cousin played for us (Mikayla Shields, 2016-2019), and we have signed Kimmie Thompson, and her older sister Kaely (2018-2020) graduated after playing with us last year. When we’re having players like that coming through the program with all the resources and support that we have, and their daughters, sisters, and cousins are coming here to be a Gamecocks, it’s a really good sign of how much they enjoyed their experience and how much trust they have with us in their families.”
As Manning has juggled her athletics and academics careers, she has learned valuable time management skills that will help her as she continues her medical pursuits.
“I’ve had to make sure I have good sleeping habits,” Manning said. “I’ve had to balance my time so that I could be good at both things. That’s something I’m really proud of. Getting my master’s has been really good for me because I need to study this way if I want to go to medical school. It’s been a balancing act to make sure I have good study habits and good athletics habits at the same time.”
As the Gamecocks head to the first round of the NCAA Tournament hosted by Georgia Tech to wrap up her athletics career, Manning is sure her decision to come to South Carolina was the right move.
“There’s no doubt,” Manning said. “I would choose South Carolina again in a heartbeat because of the experiences I have had. I think I was meant to be at Coastal in the first period of my volleyball and college experience, and then South Carolina came around again and it ended up working. I’m so grateful.
“It’s exciting to be going back home for the (NCAA) Tournament. Georgia Tech is the first gym that I ever watched a college volleyball game. It feels like it’s come full circle to be starting the last part of my career in the gym I first watched student-athletes doing what I’m doing now. I’m excited because I’ll have my family there, too.”
