Newest Mountie
Three Oaks senior MacDonald commits to Mount Allison
Callie MacDonald of Summerside will continue pursuing her academic and athletic careers in Sackville, N.B.
The Grade 12 student at Three Oaks Senior High School has committed to attend Mount Allison University, where she will begin studying commerce in September and join the Mounties’ volleyball program for the 2017-18 Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) season.
“It came down to Mount A having the whole package there,” said MacDonald, who plays the middle position. MacDonald and Mounties head coach Paul Settle have been talking back and forth for over a year.
“Callie is fortunate in that the only position I recruited for this year was the middle position,” said Settle. “She is gifted; very good height, six-foot-one, somewhat around that range; she is very athletic; she has had a fair bit of volleyball experience with what she has played in high school and participating with the P.E.I. Canada Games team.”
MacDonald said “it’s like a dream come true” to be able to combine education and sports at university.
“It’s something I have always dreamed about,” she continued. “Last year, my Grade 11 year, in the winter, is when things really started to pick up. It’s crazy how things have all unfolded to exactly what I wanted.”
Major changes
MacDonald, who began playing volleyball in Grade 6, acknowledges she anticipates some major adjustments at the university level.
“It’s scary to think about leaving home, going away and doing something totally different,” said MacDonald. “I love taking on new adventures.” MacDonald also played senior AAA girls’ basketball at Three Oaks. When asked if it was a tough decision to choose one sport over the other, she replied: “It kind of came down to which one I like more. I like both sports equally, but I just have more passion for volleyball. Everything I do revolves around volleyball.”
Settle said it’s important to place reasonable expectations on young players entering varsity programs.
“It’s a growing process,” emphasized Settle. “I’ve been over to Summerside probably three times now specifically working with Callie on some techniques she needs to improve on. “I showed her a strength training program, which will increase her quickness on the court more than anything, and, again, that is something she needs to improve on. I look at it as a four-year project. “Whatever contributions she can make in her first and second years are great, and really looking for her to step forward in her third and fourth years. She has a great attitude, she wants to be good.” MacDonald agreed working on strength and agility are two priorities.
“I have to step up and be like ‘dynamite’ as (Settle) says,” added MacDonald.