By Shivali Shah, Staff Writer
After playing volleyball for almost a decade, Mackenzie Calhoun is in her last high school volleyball season. Calhoun is a setter on the girls varsity volleyball team and plays for Columbia Volleyball Academy in the off season. As a Division 1 commit for Lafayette college, Mackenzie is at an exciting point of her volleyball career.
Her love for volleyball blossomed when she was just ten years old, but she became serious about the sport when she was twelve and joined a club team, “play[ing] ever since.” As Calhoun grew, her love for volleyball grew as well, and she gained an understanding of where she wanted to take her volleyball career. “I was fifteen, that’s when I realized I wanted to play in college. And, I quickly realized that was one of my biggest goals.”
Calhoun accomplished her goal this past summer when she accepted an offer to Lafayette College. The decision to commit to Lafayette was easy for her, especially since her father previously attended the college. But, the recruiting process was “super stressful… Originally they weren’t really looking at me, but there was a coaching switch and the [new] coach actually really liked me.” Though it was stressful, the process helped her “figure out what [she] wanted” and ultimately helped her prepare better for college and her future in volleyball.
Support from her teammates also motivated her to strive to play D1. Calhoun has a strong connection to her teammates and feels that one of the main reasons she performs well is because of the encouragement of other players. “One thing about volleyball is that it’s a team sport, which is something I really love about it because you can trust your teammates. Even if you’re not performing your best in situations, they’re there for you and they have your back.”
Like in any sport, there are always stressful situations, whether it be a big game, a high stakes tournament, or even a make or break point. How an athlete deals with this pressure is crucial to their performance. Calhoun uses not only the support from her teammates, but also a good mindset to deal with stress or nerves, “One thing that I do is I try to not let my emotions get in the way of playing. So, no matter what I’m feeling, it’s more so just playing every point the same.”
Through the highs and lows, Mackenzie Calhoun has always tried her best and persevered. And though she is off to play Division 1, high school volleyball will always be a memorable experience. “It is so special to be able to make connections on a team and learn lessons through the sport. I’ve learned so much in volleyball alongside people I enjoy playing with and enjoy being around.”