Hamilton, ON- Jack Mackley was psyched. He just heard his name called and he heard the fans in the Burridge Gym cheering as he stepped onto the court on game day. “Absolutely psyched out of my mind,” he recalled. 

The McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball middle felt the butterflies in his stomach. He hadn’t played much in his university career thus far. He was a bench player when the Marauders won the OUA title and national bronze medal in his rookie season last year. However, with injuries to their middles as regular season play resumed in January, here was his chance to start.

Mackley could feel the nerves and excitement. He felt it coming into their game against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Jan. 20. Once the opening whistle blow, a different feeling came over him. The second-year from Toronto knew he couldn’t get too excited.

As he kept communicating with his teammates, his trust with them slowly started to build. The excitement was still there but Mackley started to get settled in. 

Mackley’s on-court demeanor could be seen in his play. He finished with one kill and four digs, appearing in all three sets as the Marauders won in straight sets against the Varsity Blues. He had a service ace and made his presence felt on the service line. 

It started early. Mackley stepped up to serve early in the first set with the Marauders up 3-2. He served six straight times as his team jumped to a 7-2 lead. That led to a 25-19 first set victory. “That really unlocked set one for us,” Marauders head coach Brad Douwes noted. “Really took the pressure off early.” 

As he went up to serve, he relied on the serving routine he’s built up since he was 13 years old. Mackley kept adding to that routine over time. He’ll receive the ball, grab it, spin it and throw it. Once he’s settled, he’ll find his spot on the end line. 

Okay. I’m settled, he thinks. Trust my training and I know what I’ve done. I’ve done this skill thousands and thousands of times. I can do this.

Mackley knows it takes time for him to build into the flow of things. As he does, he gets more and more into his routine. His confidence builds as well.

He didn’t play the evening prior as the Marauders beat the TMU Bold in straight sets. He was dealing with a knee injury. 

Once the Toronto game got going, Mackley tried to work his way into it. The nerves were still there. Then he started hitting serve after serve. Then he hit an ace. I’m back into it, he thought. 

Imagine the nerves going through Mackley’s head the previous weekend against Western. Remember the Jan 13. game when Maxime Gratton and Brendan Mills went out as the Marauders withstood a Western comeback to win? 

Mackley does. He was in the middle of it all – literally and figuratively – with middles Tyler Pavelic and Haben Yohannes out. 

He’s looked up to Pavelic for quite a while – since as far back as 2019 – so it was weird seeing him not playing. It was weird taking his spot. It was nerve wracking as well. He knew the pressure that was on him. 

However, when the game got going, after the first five to 10 points, he found himself getting more and more settled. That nervous, scared feeling faded away quickly. That excitement was still there though. 

Amid the excitement comes growth. Yes, Mackley’s been part of many competitive practices with many quality players. However, the games are different. He can feel the adrenaline pumping. He can feel he and his teammates jumping and executing. He can feel the speed of it all – blink and the ball is just whizzing by him left to right. 

It’s all that feeling that comes during those first 10 points of the opening set. It’s that overwhelming feeling at times before he gets settled in. 

I can do this, he tells himself. He’ll rely on his routines, the things he’s worked on in practice. He’ll go out and make plays. “With a little more spunk,” he added. 

Like he did with his serves against Toronto. 

Mackley has gained more and more of that game experience since the turn of the new year. He finds it’s helped with his competitive intelligence. 

Trust has also been a notable part of the experience. It’s helped him overcome those nerves and boost his confidence. 

Mackley found that trust building within the team as the season’s gone along. His teammates started to come out of their shells and they’ve become “a big collective of friends,” according to him. 

That trust has been building and building. They’ll talk as teammates – but also friends – about their strengths and weaknesses and how they can help each other. “It’s never really judging because we all know that we’re friends in some way,” Mackley said. “And it’s all coming from a good place.” 

It’s that trust Mackley feels every time he steps onto the court. I know someone has my back, he tells himself. I don’t need to do everything. Each person has their role and has their teammates to pick them up when needed. 

It’s that trust Mackley feels when they’re down a few points. They’ll come together, take a breath and relax. “We all just kind of lean on one another,” he noted. “I think it’s probably the most important thing we’ve learned to do.” 

Mackley will go through all those feelings in the games to come. The nerves and butterflies beforehand and early on. The confidence and belief during it all. The trust with his teammates. The excitement as well.

Shortly after their victory against Toronto, Mackley said he’s already excited for their next game against Queen’s. 

Featured Image: Kevin Lassel/McMaster Athletics