Intense yet collective. That is how one can some up one of the faces of the Colorado Mesa University volleyball team, outside hitter MacKenzie Edwards.
Edwards, or “Z” as the team calls her, is in her senior season at CMU and has been with the volleyball team all four years. She was named the captain her sophomore year and only gained more respect and leadership as the years progressed. Edwards is an offensive powerhouse. She has 966 career kills, 127 this season which is second most on the team and averages a team-high 3.26 kills per set. However, her skills aren’t limited to the offensive side of the ball.
“Z is a really good balanced player,” Assistant indoor volleyball coach David Skaff. “[She] brings a lot of stability to the team. If we need a play made, we can count on Z to make that play.”
Behind starting libero Taylor Woods, Edwards is second on the team in total digs with 90 as well as averaging 2.31 digs per set. Despite statistics providing an apparent first impression, the Lakewood native has much more value and impact on the team beyond her volleyball skills.
“She can get really intense sometimes, which helps the team refocus,” middle blocker and Edwards’ roommate Alyssa Chutka said. “She plays her best when she’s super intense. Coach is always trying to get her fired up since she plays well like that, but no matter how fired up she gets, she never gets frantic. She brings a calming presence to the court.”
Edwards’s persona has been integral to the team to keep them calm and level-headed during stressful games while also lighting a fire under the team to keep them highly energized. Inspiring the team and providing an anchor for them to hang onto is part of the team captain job description, an aspect that Edwards had a little to no trouble to grasp.
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“I am a leader, which is something that has taken me a while to accept,” Edwards said. “When you are in a leadership position, people look up to you. They watch you to see what you do and how you react to things. I think that is a hard thing to notice and accept. It has taken me two years to accept that people do notice what I do.”
Despite being a tad reluctant to start leading and taking a head role on the team when she was only a sophomore, the impact of her leadership is recognized and felt by the entire team.
“Z is a leader that leads more through action,” David Skaff said. “Sometimes she gets a little angry and riles people up, but she is one of those that will lead by doing her work efficiently.”
Edwards has established herself as one of the main faces of the volleyball team within the last couple seasons. Now, as a senior, people seem to know who she is more than ever but it comes in forms of support and cheers in the stands.
“It is a confidence booster knowing that the school and community support the team,” Edwards said. “It is nice to know that what I am doing isn’t going to waste. It is worth something and does mean something to people.”
When everyone knows the face of the team, it makes it easier to show support to the individuals and, in turn, the team. The community does offer great support by showing up to games and cheering on the volleyball team no matter where they are competing.
CMU and Edwards are now on a mission to control the RMAC and put all of their hard work and talent to good use. The Mavericks are 9-4 and are third in the conference standings behind Colorado School of Mines and Dixie State.
With their most recent game coming in a loss against Dixie State, Edwards and the rest of the team will have a chance to rebound when they continue RMAC play against Chadron State at Brownson Arena on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.