Hovering above most at six foot three inches, Bre Mackie arrived at Long Beach State in 2011 a talented but raw prospect, one not expected to contribute right away. Now a senior and the leader of the No. 20 LBSU women’s volleyball team, she has developed into one of the nation’s best players.
A highly sought-after recruit at Central Valley High School in Modesto, California, Mackie lettered in basketball, track and volleyball while setting school records and earning accolade after accolade.
She eventually decided to pursue volleyball, with Oregon, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara showing significant interest. None of them, however, impressed her more than LBSU.
“I went on a few visits,” Mackie said. “And I came here after all the other visits, and it just felt like a perfect fit. The coaching staff was really welcoming. The campus is really pretty, and it had everything that I needed.”
When her mom encouraged her to commit, Mackie knew she wasn’t going anywhere else.
“She came with me on my visit,” Mackie said. “And she kind of saw it as a perfect fit. There’s just that feeling you get after you’ve been somewhere and just know this is where you need to be.”
Mackie was far from a finished product when she arrived at LBSU. Head coach Brian Gimmillaro described her as inexperienced and physically weak. He said the initial plan was to redshirt Mackie because the level of competition she faced in high school was very weak.
“She was going to watch and learn how to play,” Gimmillaro said. “My plan was I wasn’t going to talk to her. I’m not talking to you this year. You watch and you listen and absorb, and we won’t put any pressure on you. It’s a positive thing. We’ll see how fast you can learn. We’ll give you all the information.”
Things changed quickly. Two weeks after telling Mackie she wouldn’t be playing her freshman year, the team was derailed by injuries, which forced Mackie into action.
“She was ill-prepared,” Gimmillaro said. “But she gained some valuable experience. We went to the playoffs and all that, but it was difficult.”
Now a senior leading a Big West Conference-leading LBSU squad, Mackie is getting the recognition that has been missing in years past. On October 14, she was named the Sports Import/AVCA National Player of the Week.
Mackie was the 10th player in school history to win the weekly award, the last coming in 2011 when Janisa Johnson earned the honor.
“I was kind of shocked at first,” Mackie said. “It’s such an honor to be a part of that group. I was really thankful for everything. It wasn’t just me. It was the whole team effort that helped me get there.”
It’s not just Mackie’s playing ability that’s left an imprint with her coaches and teammates, with Gimmillaro lauding her as a wonderful person and a great teammate.
“[Mackie’s] a charming, great kid, and serious about getting good as an athlete,” Gimmillaro said. “[She] wants to continue to play on, probably in Europe when she’s done, and she will. She’s got very little time left, and realizes it.”
Mackie speaks candidly on most subjects, like when she recalls her worst memory as a player – a three set loss to Cal Poly that Gimmillaro forced the team to watch a replay of on the bus ride home – or basking in the glory of finally beating Hawaii earlier this year.
“She’s probably one of the most genuine people I’ve known,” Mackie’s teammate for the last four years and fellow senior Chelsea Cabrajac said.“She’s not afraid to speak her mind. But she has a way about her where she’s not [condescending].”
Mackie hopes to continue her playing career after graduating; she said she will explore her options with clubs overseas. Gimmillaro thinks Mackie’s success in the pros will depend on how she matures physically, but that her skill level is already among the best in the country.
“I feel like I haven’t reached my peak yet,” Mackie said. “Volleyball wise, I think I have a lot more to learn and experience.”