CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel’s former volleyball player, Mackenzie Martin ’24, shares her exciting new journey as an assistant coach while reflecting on her path into coaching through her past experiences. 

For as long as Mackenzie can remember, volleyball has been at the heart of her life. From her playing career at Tulane to ending her time at The Citadel, coaching wasn’t always her goal, but life can be unpredictable. 

When asked about her sudden decision to coach, Martin realized she hadn’t originally planned to become a coach.. 

“I never knew I wanted to coach, but I knew I wanted to be around volleyball anyway I could,” Martin said. “It is such a big part of me, and I was fortunate that I was able to say yes to an opportunity at Liberty this past January.”

That opportunity arrived sooner than Martin expected as her coaching career came calling. 

“It happened so fast and so unexpectedly,” she said with excitement. “It was something I had looked into but never thought would happen in January of this year! My family always told me so because they had asked me for years if I would try it and see if I liked it. I never thought anything of it, so they love that I jumped right into it.” 

Mackenzie described her family and the coaching staff at The Citadel that influenced her path into coaching.

“My family is my support system for everything,” Martin continued. “They were a huge reason why I said yes to uprooting everything to move to Virginia to coach. They have always made it happen, allowing me to chase my dreams, no matter what. Dave [Zelenock] and Erin [Kretzschmar], my coaches at The Citadel, really showed me how much a coach could put life back into a person and player, too. They changed how I felt about volleyball and helped me find a spark again.” 

Mackenzie now sees the game a little differently, as her sideline perspective helps her learn the coaching side of volleyball. 

“It has been so amazing, but such a learning curve. I finished playing last November and started coaching in January, so the turnaround felt like no time at all. Right now, I feel like a sponge; I want to absorb information from every coach I know and have a relationship with, so I can be the best coach for where I am at now.”

Looking back, Mackenzie says her journey proves that the best opportunities often come when you least expect them. 

“I didn’t know coaching was for me,” she reflected on her time as a player and the idea of taking a gap year to step away from volleyball. “Not knowing what you want to do is okay, and everything happens for a reason.”

Martin reflects on her journey, where each opportunity, expected or unexpected, has shaped her path and led her to discover a love for coaching.

“My story is more of a testament to saying yes when an opportunity presents itself and just going where you feel is right. It happened with me when I came to The Citadel in 2023, and I had that same feeling again when I took the job at Liberty. I feel like I’m giving back a little fraction of what college volleyball gave me.”