GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Get to know setter MacKenzi Vazquez in the debut of our “Offseason Conversation” series with the Grand Rapids Rise. Vazquez talks about her offseason, re-joining the Rise roster as a player after overcoming medical issues, the mindset of being a setter, and much more.
How’s your summer been? What have you been up to?
The summer has been good. I’ve been coaching volleyball camps throughout southwest Michigan, spending time with my husband Andrew – who coaches college football [at Calvin University] so for the month of August he has been MIA – and taking a lot of opportunities to rest and prepare for the upcoming season.
What was the transition like going from volleyball player to director of volleyball operations?
It was honestly a lot easier than I was expecting it to be. There were hard parts along the way, but it challenged me to learn how to love the game of volleyball in a very different and new way. I think I’m coming back with a new perspective on the sport that maybe I didn’t have before.
Expanding on that, how has your perspective of the sport changed?
Taking a bird’s eye view has helped me remember why I love the sport, and that freedom and joy I get when playing it. Toward the end of my last season playing volleyball, it became more of a thing that I was just doing, and not so much a thing that I was loving. So, I was reminded why I love the sport and why I started playing in the first place.
What has been the most surprising aspect of working behind the scenes?
I think getting to see first-hand how much went into not only our team, but the League as a whole. I got to see how much hard work and dedication people put into launching professional volleyball in the United States. I also got to see how much support and love the country has shown us, especially the city of Grand Rapids. It opened my eyes to how big of a deal this is.
Was there a point last season where you were like, ‘I can play. I can still do this.’?
Yes. There was these little moments, but I don’t know if there was one large moment where that happened. I did play at practice quite a bit and helped Cathy [George, Rise head coach and VP of volleyball operations] with training or helped the team with certain drills. Last year, I medically retired, but I got to see where my body was at and how my body felt throughout the season. That was really good for me. As the season ended, I realized I still had this love and passion for the sport, and a piece of my heart that wanted to give it one more go.
Setters are asked to do a lot of different things on the court, what’s the hardest thing to master?
I think there is a delicate dance with setting. It’s often described as the most difficult position because you have to do so many things and wear so many hats at the same time. You have to learn how to wear those different hats in a way that doesn’t impact your mentality or your approach to the game. I think that’s the hardest part.
What strategies do you use to build chemistry with your hitters and other teammates?
It starts with conversations in the locker room, or text messages throughout the offseason. It’s about taking intentional time to get to know not just the player, but the person. To be able to say, ‘I know this player needs this and this player needs this.’ Whether that’s a certain set, a type of ball, or knowing if this player needs, ‘Hey, you are doing fantastic,’ or ‘I need you to get us a kill.’ It’s about learning those differences, not only from a volleyball perspective but from a support and mentality perspective. All that starts off the court, learning about the person.
How do you envision your experience from last season influencing your role and interactions with teammates this season?
I learned the importance of how deep and how far you have to be willing to go for another person when you’re the setter. Just like being a quarterback, if you don’t know that your offensive line is going to stop people from getting to you then there is an option that you could get hurt on every single play. Maybe the stakes aren’t as high when setting, but you need to have that level of trust. After sitting on the sidelines, I got to see how important it is for relationships to develop and that they develop organically and naturally. That builds trust and adds a level of dependability that can be relied upon when it becomes game time.
How has your relationship with Cathy George evolved from your college days as rivals at Michigan and Michigan State to now teaming up with her?
She actually recruited me. I visited Northwestern, Michigan State, and then went to Michigan. So, she was my second visit out of eight. But I’ve made a fantastic relationship with Cathy. I have gotten to see her coach and play against her. From those moments of being recruited to playing against each other to coming together to tackle this really big project that was the inaugural season, we have reached this place of depth and trust in our relationship. We may collide sometimes. We may get on each other’s nerves. But, at the end of the day, we are both focused on the mission of what is most important for the Grand Rapids Rise. That is what drives us. She is a really close friend and a confidante of mine. To see that develop over the last year has been really special.
Lastly, in your opinion, what’s the most satisfying way to win a match point?
From a setting perspective, the most satisfying way to win a match would be to set a hitter the most glorious ball where they have no blocker or only one blocker. They would have free rein to go up and take a big, comfortable rip. We are behind them, no matter what, so they feel safe and comfortable going after it on that last point. Watching a teammate go up and absolutely crush a ball is the most satisfying.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise