Falcon Flashback | Roberta Quis Fox '99
Athletic Hall of Fame Spotlight
When Roberta Quis Fox received the news that she would be part of O’Neal’s inaugural Hall of Fame class, her reaction was pure joy. “I was surprised, excited, and proud. As my family can attest, I smiled for days afterward,” she shared.
Roberta’s story is one of inspiration, leadership, and lasting impact—both on and off the court. From looking up to older athletes as a young student to becoming a three-sport standout and earning Conference Player of the Year honors in volleyball, basketball, and soccer her senior year, Roberta exemplifies the spirit of O’Neal athletics.
O’Neal Hall of Famer. Inaugural class. What was going through your mind when you heard the news?
I was surprised, excited, and proud. As my family can attest, I smiled for days afterward.
When you were a younger student at O’Neal, who were some of the older athletes and coaches that you looked up to or who inspired you?
I will answer your question, but first I have to give a shout-out to the incredible head coaches I was lucky enough to learn from: Steve Dahl, Cindy Strickland and George Mauser.
One of the great benefits of a K-12 school is getting to look up to older students and see them around campus.
From age five, I walked by Lorrie Hogan’s ’83 basketball in the “red tile area” trophy case and aspired to be a great basketball player like her.
From age five, I walked by Lorrie Hogan’s ’83 basketball in the “red tile area” trophy case and aspired to be a great basketball player like her.
My sister, Ginny Quis Sloan ‘96, always led the way for me on the volleyball court and soccer field. I always looked up to her (and still do). I also loved watching Jeff Haarlow ‘92 and Jill McLester ’91 on the basketball court. Mary Ballard ‘94 was a memorable one on the volleyball court.
Being in the same Hall of Fame class as Cindy Strickland. How cool is that?
Very cool. Cindy had me working on volleyball passes in PE before I could even ride a bike. She had such passion for the sport and helped instill that same love of volleyball in me. Volleyball has been a gift that keeps on giving to me. Many of my closest friends are from my volleyball teams, and whenever I’ve moved to a new city, I’ve joined volleyball leagues and built community that way. Cindy introduced me to the game and has continued to be an important person in my life, so it’s especially meaningful to be in this Hall of Fame class with her.
You played 3 different sports throughout high school. Tough question, but did you have one favorite team from your time at O’Neal?
That’s a hard one. I even brainstormed this question with Rachel Stevens ’99, who was on all 12 teams with me, and we both struggled to pick just one. What makes me smile the most is remembering the moments off the court, like laughing uncontrollably as Coach Dahl took the van through a drive-through convenience store after a Westchester win or Coach Mauser taking us to dinner at Outback after a header goal.
I know you’re very humble by nature, but do you have a favorite or most proud individual accomplishment from your O’Neal days?
I’ve had great teammates that have made me look good. I wish I could name them all here.
My senior year I was honored as Triad Athletic Conference Player of the Year in volleyball, basketball, and soccer and that was a meaningful and memorable way to end my high school athletic career.
Conference MVP in 3 different sports in the same year??? Get out of here.
You graduated from O’Neal in 1999. What have you been doing since then?
I graduated from Davidson College in 2003, where I majored in history. I worked a few years on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., before returning to graduate school for an MBA at UNC-Chapel Hill. I then worked for Citigroup in New York City in human resources. I am currently a stay-at-home mother to 3 awesome kids in Charlotte, NC.
Thank you, Roberta! What an awesome trip down memory lane! Congrats to you on the Hall of Fame.
Join us at Homecoming on January 9th where our Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductees will be recognized.
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